4 Seasons of Uncertainty, Door 1 - Winter
by ChEsHiRe81
Summary: Everything had finally settled down with the team, now fully one family. Yet, with all they have endured...is it really over? Come on back for the third installment of my series.
1. Chapter 1

**Frigid Discovery (January's Tabs)**

" _It looks like, for the Presidential race that all polls are in, with every vote tallied. With a whopping vote count we now present to you the President of the United States...Catherine Jane Grant!_

 _We've also just gotten reports that the previous President Baker has been apprehended by local authorities. The list for crimes are as follows: Four counts of Larson, five counts of homicide, two counts of rape, smuggling of military weaponry, four counts of blackmail, two counts of federal fraud, three counts of tax evasion._

 _It appears that he was working with a criminal he'd pardoned without his council's or lawyer's knowledge nor approval. Alexander Luthor has been found guilty with a list that would make a sailor faint and grown men cry. The city, state and country is grateful for the monster behind bars."_

 _ **5 Years Later..**_

" _Lena Kieran Zor-El Danvers has worked closely with President Grant now in her second term, with Supergirl still soaring through the sky bringing us what she does best, safety and hope. Kieran and Danvers have just celebrated their 5 year anniversary. Let's give a loud cheer for the couple that have been like angels to all of us. Their daughter Rose Alexi Zor-El Danvers, just had her 5th birthday so raise a toast to her as well._

 _Crime rates have reduced tremendously, homelessness is down and many whom couldn't afford housing are getting the keys to their homes thanks to Miss Kieran Zor-El Danvers._

 _Now on the traffic report…"_

"AGAIN!" Twenty new recruits for the AOD, lined up as she blew the horn. They took off toward the obstacles as the captain looked on, watching for mistakes or overachievers. This was the fifth batch of newbies that Sawyer would be putting through the ringer, to see if they were good enough to make the new _Angels of Diversity_ agency. No longer was it just humans as agents. No longer was there any division and all that came to sign up and try out were welcome.

Maggie was impressed. This group had real potential for some of the harsher missions. She was just about to blow the horn again when she felt a buzz in her pocket pulling the device out, smiling as she saw her wife's name flash on the screen. Sawyer swiped it to answer grinning. "What's the matter baby? Are you working up a sweat Luce?"

" _Ha ha ha. No. We've got our own training courses we have to take on this year. I'll tell ya, you should try to do this bitch._ " Lucy grumbled with Maggie smirking.

"I'd rather try our extracurricular training in the bedroom. Oh shit. HEY! Babe I gotta go."

" _Go by the grocery store when I send you the list on message please. Pick me up those pastries I like. Love you._ "

"Love you too." The call ended with Sawyer dropping the smile, putting on the mask she learned from Danvers. "ENOUGH! AGAIN!" The recruits groaned as Maggie smirked. This was so fun to do sometimes..

* * *

Even up as high as she was, there was both a sense of peace as well as concern. This had been far too often for the latter it seemed as of late. She wondered if this darkness would ever fade from her, when she was meant to be a symbol of hope of light. With the wind blowing just enough around her, the sight before her was positively magnificent. The fall of snow always was to her. It was precious, even though it left so many creatures of this planet without much protection from a harsh chill. Yet it was necessary and plentiful.

Her ceruleans gazed over as a pack of wolves trudged through the snow before taking shelter in a cave. She yearned to swoop down for the less fortunate animals that wouldn't survive the blizzards. Supergirl had to remind herself of the cosmic order of things. Nature had to take its course. As the snow began to come down covering over much, she flew down to one of the peaks landing carefully taking a deep breath in shutting her eyes.

Sending prayers to Rao she allowed herself these moments of calm even within the storms. Sure, her wife and daughter brought her solace. All of her family did. But...the terrors had continued and they never seemed to leave her tainted soul. Some angel she was..

" _ **Sokao Rao..Chad Khap Raogrhys..**_ " Kara spoke into the cold rush of winter's air, begging for the strength she felt without. How long would she have to endure these demons? It's been five years, yet still she was plagued by monsters. She should be better for her daughter, for her wife. Rose and Lena were counting her as was the entire country and world for that matter. Her cousin and his wife along with their twin boys had gone to Argo to learn of the culture and introduce their children to it. The Red Daughter of Krypton had also went there, learning more of their mother that Kara couldn't give. It was better that way.

These days, for the past two years as a matter of fact, she'd needed not her armored suit. Hell, none of them really did. Alex and her wife Sam were enjoying their quiet time, even with the Director keeping an eye on things. Susan and Amelia had retired. Lucy took up the mantle of being Alex's right hand. Sam had taken the place of Amelia's as the primary doctor. Nia had taken over CATCO and Brainy had just proposed well...in the best way he could. Ruby had finished high school at 16, graduated from Harvard at 18 and got her medical degree to work alongside her mother.

"Please Rao…" Kara felt a single tear escape one of her eyes to trail down her cheek. She looked up into the sky, looking for some bigger answer to end this darkness over her. Letting this loom over her wasn't helping in the least. She was supposed to be guiding her niece for crying out loud..

It was then she heard the cries from France, as she lifted up off the mountain top to take off as quick as she could. The sound of the explosions, the crash, the howls of agrished suffering brought her completely out of her shadowed thoughts immediately. Lives were at stake. This was a job for Supergirl...

* * *

"Dammit.." Sam grumbled dropping her head on the table next to her microscope in her lab. "This is frustrating as all hell." A whistle brought her head up as she turned it to see her daughter holding a latte. "Did I tell you you're my favorite daughter today?"

"Mom...don't kiss my ass when you are hogging my new DNA toy." Ruby pointed to her mother's other side as Sam took the drink.

"I've still got six samples to analyze before you get this." The twenty year old raised an eyebrow sighing shaking her head.

"Sure. Yeah. I'll call dad." She smirked. Ruby only called Alex that when she knew she could work her for the answers she wanted.

"You are teaching Rose bad habits Rubes." Sam took a sip of her latte.

"Better me than your _profanity pilot._ " Her mother agreed nodding. "She lets them fly like no other Mom."

"Okay...yeah you've got a good point."

"Oh you should have heard Rose the other day. Ass O' Nines Auntie Lexy.." Sam nearly choked on her drink, turning to look at her daughter dropping her jaw. "Yep."

"So maybe I need to have a few words with Ally."

"Good luck. The quarter jar had turned into a savings account with how much ya all let them fly." Ruby snickered drinking her red bull. They both hear Sam's phone go off as her daughter smirks. "Bet that's Miss Expletive now." Yet, when Mrs. Danvers picked it up it wasn't her wife.

"Nia? Nia what happened?" Sam instantly went white as a ghost as Ruby froze swallowing down the lump in her throat. "Where?! I'll be there in a minute or so." She hung up the phone looking into her daughter's eyes. "Suit up...now." Ruby nodded with them both flying out of the lab. Nothing could have prepared them for what the future Dreamer had revealed..

* * *

"Reload! DAMMIT RELOA…" Alex didn't even see him coming as five agents were tossed back like toy soldiers and she felt one hard back handed strike come at her gut. Even in her armored Phoenix suit this alien had dented it in. With the wind knocked out of her, she couldn't stop him from ripping off her helmet crushing it like a soda can to throw it aside. "Let...mmme...gg...go.." But he didn't honor that request as she saw his eyes burn with terror filling every cell in her body. Yet no heat vision came and she couldn't look away from those ignited orbs. Then a rush hit her right in the face and she gasped, her whole frame shaking as she let out the most terrifying scream.

"That's right pitiful human. In your capsule where you are helpless. Where that fuel through your veins intoxicates you." He dropped her to the ground laughing to stomp away. She nor her army wouldn't be bothering him anymore..

"Phoenix!" Both Arias-Danvers called while flying down to stop suddenly, assessing the scene before them. Several agents were down, with one of them being Alex. Yet what troubled them most was how they were all trembling along with part of the woman's suit damaged with a helmet crushed a few feet from her head.

"Alex.." Sam nodded to her daughter whom gathered the Director up in her arms to take off into the sky. "Quicker Skye...quicker baby.." Arias turned towards the agents as she assessed the damage to each and every one of them. Some injuries were worse than others, but it was the pasty white of their skin which worried Sam most of all. Just as she was about to ask the questions she needed, the medical vehicles arrived.

"I've got my team Sam...go." Aaron grumbled dusting himself off. "It's okay. Go." Remzi wouldn't take no for an answer and Sam nodded to take off into the sky toward the AOD building..

"Dammit, you should have called me right away!" Amelia growled with the young Arias lowered her second mom onto the table. Both held a deep concern when Danvers' body still shook. Her eyes were looking everywhere her teeth chattering. "What happened?"

"I saw her in some...big alien's grasp. His eyes were burning into hers and...it was like he was looking through her." Nia explained. "I wish I would have seen more." The Naltorian shook her head in frustration. "I should have been able to see more."

"No. This isn't your fault Nia." Sam walked in to walk straight over to her wife, beside her daughter. She focused her powers and scanned over Alex's body relieved when she saw nothing broken or bruised. "Alex…" They all heard a yell from the halls knowing exactly whom it was.

"Alex! Holy shit wha.." Maggie ran in with Lucy in tow as both stopped immediately after surveying whom was on the table. "What happened..?"

"Some Alien was running rampid and...Alex's team was out there. This thing took down her agents then did something to her." Ruby tried to put the pieces together herself, but what worried her most was how the Director's heart rate was which she also somehow knew Alex's BP wasn't right. "She's frantic." Skye commented. "She needs oxygen."

"Already on it kid." Amelia adjusted the tank then went to place the mask on the woman's face when her entire body spasmed arching off the table then falling back down with her tremors worse. "Shit.."

"Give it to me." Sam told the doc whom handed it over and she quickly slipped it on with her kryptonian speed just as Alex's body spasmed again. "What the hell did that thing do to her."

"Alex?" They all looked over as Supergirl flew in only to land a few feet from her sister. Kara walked closer but was suddenly grabbed to be rushed backward and slammed hard into the wall making the whole room shake. "Sam.."

" _WHERE...WERE...YOU?!_ " Arias was beyond furious and for her sister in law not to hear her wife's heartbeat shift, had Sam in absolute rage. Kara was her target now. "You... _you...fucking disappear! YOU ARE ABSENT WHEN...YOUR...SISTER...IS HURT! WHERE….WERE...YOU?!"_ Sam had no intention of letting Kara go as she slammed her against the wall again, with this time nearly knocking Zor-El out cold when her skull slapped back with far too much force. " _Some...hero YOU are!_ _**Wuz Zygai**_.."

"Mom...MOM!" Ruby yanked her mother back grabbing the hand that was clenching to her aunt's throat pushing her back further. "Taking it out on Aunt Kara is not gonna solve anything." Sam growled huffing to turn away and walk back to her wife. Ruby turned to look Supergirl in the eyes. "Roof. _Now_." Kara nodded stumbling forward staggering out of the room not even dare looking her sister's way. Her head hurt, her body hurt. She deserved it hell...she deserved worse. Kara did her best to keep up with her niece even with her skull throbbing.

The moment they had stepped out onto the roof veranda of the AOD building, Ruby stepped closer to the edge putting her arms behind her as she crossed her hands. "This view is breathtaking. It's even more amazing at night, with all the stars glistening up there." She listened to the unsteady boot steps of her aunt. "I know where you were. I heard the praise from France at your assistance." Skye wasn't about to look at the one whom taught her all she knew of Krypton.

"I...I should have heard her Ruby." Kara wasn't dare excusing her actions. She was too caught up in her own head and that grave mistake could have cost Alex her life. "I should have."

"You had lives at stake. Sometimes we have to...sometimes we cannot.." She was searching for the right words, yet all she drew was blanks. Then it came to her. " _ **Rrip Nim Dowahlz Vot Dokhahshr.**_ " Ruby heard a troubling heart rate but decided not to bring that up just yet.

"Yes, they grip me Ruby. The demons remind me I am just as dark as them. Yet I can't be for this city and for everyone on this planet whom has found comfort and a home here. They all expect me to be that hope. But when.." Kara put her head down clenching her fists as the tears trailed down her face. "...when my sister needed me...I wasn't there. Your mom was right. I'm nothing but a false hero."

"She didn't mean...SUPERGIRL!" Her aunt had taken off into the sky with Ruby contemplating going after her. She knew though her other mom needed her right now. Both her moms needed her to be the strength her aunt couldn't right now..

* * *

"What will it be miss?" She slid the tender a piece of paper with the order and the woman raised an eyebrow at her. "You sure?" Kara nodded but she still had her hesitations to serve what was requested up to her, instead leaning forward to whisper in her ear. "What is a reporter like you doing asking for something that can only get kryptonians wasted?" The blonde pulled back meeting the blues with her own. The woman looked her up and down then smirked. "It's amazing what one look can do for confusion hmm?"

"Thank you and.."

"No worries and don't worry. I'll get that ready for you right now." Kara watched the woman go around and toward the back, where no doubt what she'd asked for was. Seems that was something better left away from other's eyes. That and it could kill a human. She wasn't even aware of the taller more broadened male that approached her just as the tender came back with a glass and the bottle. "Something tells me you'll need more than one." The tender winked to leave Kara with the shot glass and the bottled concoction. She took it and threw it back easily just as her sister had showed her. _Her sister.._

"Well.." Kara flicked her eyes that widened as a man slid onto the stool beside her chuckling. "What's a gal like you doing firing that kinda booze like that?" She wasn't impressed with this invasion and this person was far too close for her liking. Then his darker red orbs, almost burgundy, slid into her cerulean ones. Kara didn't like the stare of the man and quickly looked away to pour herself another shot. She refused to look at him again with the uneasiness about his presence to her. "Gonna ignore me now?" She took the bottle and the glass to go to an empty booth but already felt the second shot creeping up on her. It was lowering her defenses and with it her hearing.

He read her easily and with the guilt she was serving up to him and her unsteady footing some she was an easy prey. She was making this game far better when she slid closer to the back of the bar and he wondered if she was doing it to get away from prying eyes and furthermore to a back exit. The moment she set the glass and bottle down he made his presence known snickering. She turned around to face him and that's what he'd been counting on. "What's the matter?"

"Can't you leave me alone right now." Kara added a more stern tone to her voice. She didn't want to deal with this shit at the moment. "Go back and hit on someone else okay? Leave." Yet the muscled stranger hadn't budged and the smirk she was ready to wipe off his face. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Kara swung but with that bit of booze in her bloodstream she missed only for her arm to be caught by his big hand. She tried to yank out of his grip but she couldn't. "Let me.." Those burgundy orbs began to ignite and she gasped unable to pull her gaze from his. _Was he kryptonian too?_ Kara didn't like this one bit. But just as she thought he was gonna burn her with heat vision she felt a strange slam of psychic wave over her. Her eyes widened terrified he was just like Psi, knowing she was screwed if that was the case.

"Was it his touch that burned at you or the fear?" He smirked sending another wave at her seeing her frame trembling badly. Just as she was about the scream he covered her mouth with his other hand. "Or was it what you felt run through your veins. That drowning sensation that reminded you of when you had begun to sink from the submarine strike at you.." He easily lifted her off the ground with her body unable to move except shake. Her arms were dropped to her sides as he held her up by her neck with the hand still over her mouth. "That darkness, that rich black temptation. Those demons call you. Answer them."

He'd fed enough from her and let her go as she dropped to the floor a shaking paralyzed mess. He bent down and grabbed her by one leg and drug her toward the exit, pushing the door open walking outside with his prize in tow. He laughed as he went down the four steps dragging her down them as her head hit each one. Finally letting go with her head still on the last one he just walked away from her laughing as he left.

Kara kept shaking and when a few people ran out to yell for help with the tender and her boss bending down to check on her calling both her name and her other name, she couldn't even hear their voices.

"Call Miss Sawyer! NOW!" One of the employees ran in to get the rolodex behind the bar counter. The man looked back down as his tender checked for a pulse. It was far too fast. "Hang on Supergirl." Obviously, not everyone knew of her inside. Only some did and when word got out more people scrambled to the back surrounding the two workers to check on National City's hero. The waiter came out on his phone with the hand holding it shaking.

"Yes is this Miss Sawyer? This is Jeff at Galex Bar. Yes. It's important you come here right away. Yes. I'll stay on with you. Look, I know you are probably busy but...this is an emergency."

"Hand on Kara. We are getting help for you. Just hang in there." Still she couldn't hear anyone as she swallowed down the lump in her throat tasting something other than the liquor she'd had. Nothing was stopping her tremors. Kara was trapped in her own personal hell with no escape.

Two women armored beings touched down with one in darker blues and burgundy with symbol similar to Supergirl's and one in black with a silver tiger on her chest. Both instantly ran over to where Kara's body was. What they saw terrified them badly. Cerulean orbs were shaking and barely even blue. They were grey and empty. Her skin was a ghostly white.

"Thank you for calling me." Maggie spoke behind the head gear. Sam slid her hands under her sister in law's body carefully lifting her up. She felt responsible for Kara being here in the first place. "We will take her someplace safe, I promise you." With that Maggie hung on to Sam whom cradled Kara to her chest with them taking off into the sky. Somehow both knew that Supergirl would be cold to the touch. Even Mrs. Danvers could see that the suit was missing under Kara's button up darker shirt with the two buttons ripped off revealing part of her shoulder. Sam increased her speed knowing Maggie wouldn't fall, hanging on a little tighter to her waist.

Something had happened and with both Danvers sisters down, the odds weren't good..

* * *

Lena had just finished some business presentations at her company when she got the call sending a gastly shiver down her spine. She quickly grabbed her bag, locking her computer screen with password to dial up James whom was running CATCO at the moment, with Nia out to a conference. There were two rings when he picked up and she steadied her voice as best she could.

"James...it's Lena. Listen I need you to have reporters go out and find out anything they can regarding the attack and get a hold of Nia and Brian her fiance." She rolled her eyes for a moment at the transition that Brainy had picked.

" _What happened?_ "

"The Director and her team were attacked across town. Supergirl was attacked at a bar."

" _WHAT? I'll call them both right now. Take care of them Lena._ "

"Shit.." Lena called Hamilton as another answered the phone. "Susan? Hey, I'm on my way right now." Kieran ran out waving to Jess as she went yelling to her to cancel all other meetings for the time being. She had to get to the AOD... _now_..

Nia and Brian were observing from the window, not liking what they saw. They heard the sound of heels as Lena ran over surprised to see Dreamer already there. Emeralds locked on both women on beds with IVs connected to them. She made her way into the room with haste to stand before Amelia and Susan.

Maggie and Lucy were in chairs close to the Danvers sisters with their bodies tense from nervousness.

"Both of their vitals are running practically the same." Hamilton explained sighing.

"What do you mean the same?" Lena felt a nagging fear run through her.

"They haven't gained consciousness. Their bodies won't stop trembling. The tremors have calmed but both their heads trash every now and then. We've had to even put my aunt on oxygen. She shouldn't need that." The CEO felt her blood run cold. Had Kara _solar flared_?

Suddenly both women's bodies began to tremor again and this time two frames curved up only to drop back on the beds, with their heads flinging side to side gasping only for a scream to erupt from both their throats.

"NO!" They all yelled at once with vitals spiking far too high. Sam quickly took over for Amelia as Ruby too jumped in. They didn't want to result to their back up serums, but right now they didn't have a choice. The kryptonians fled different directions to the fridges where what they were looking for was stored. Ruby brought the syringe to her aunt's IV as Sam prepared to inject the serum into her wife.

"Do it." Skye told her mom as they pushed the plungers down to push the liquids into the lines. They watched the serums roll down and into the sisters' bloodstreams. Now it was a waiting game with their eyes on the machines watching the numbers on the screens.

"C'mon babe.." Sam was nervous as hell and she turned her head for a moment as Lena slid one of her hands into her wife's with Ruby next to her. Maggie had stepped forward with her wife beside her to Alex's other side. Nia was gripping Brian's hand tightly. Susan and Amelia were back some with Vasquez holding little Rose. They were all waiting for both the Danvers' sisters to be alright, praying to Rao for his blessings.

Both of their frames quit shaking completely as their vitals evened out. Everyone let out a heavy breath they'd all been holding. Alex and Kara were okay..

* * *

"Sa...Sammm.." Alex groaned with her head turning to the left weakly squeezing the hand in hers. "Sa…mm.." She pushed her vocals louder and with that success her wife lifted her head opening her eyes to see beautiful browns looking at her.

"Alex..thank Rao." Sam leaned forward in the chair she'd fell asleep in to kiss her wife on the forehead. "Babe..you scared the hell out of me." Alex gave a slight smile. "How are you feeling?" But when those chocolate rivers trembled she squeezed her hand a little tighter. "Baby what is it.."

"Don't let me go back there." Alex felt the tears run down her face. "Please.." Sam was both confused and worried. She brought her other hand up to Alex's head to drag her fingers through the short auburn locks. Yet when she looked over to see her sister in law crying too she knew something had happened to both of them. Something _bad_.

"Darling I'm right here. What is it baby." Lena spoke softly with as much comfort as she could. Both of Kara's hands were clenching the bed yet the frame wasn't scrunching like the kryptonian usually could cause. She ran one hand along the blonde's arm with the other softly stroking her face. Lena met Sam's gaze with grim expressions on both their faces.

"It hurt...fuzzy...warm...felt good...was...was scared…" Kara was shaking again sobbing from something and Lena wasn't sure what. Then it came to her and from the look on Sam's face she'd figured it out too.

"The chamber." They both said at once. Lena looked in Kara's unbalanced eyes as Sam looked into Alex's shivering ones. Hazel orbs looked into her wife's own with Emerald gazing into fearful ceruleans.

"You are safe baby."

"You're with us darling."

"You're safe from that place...that monster.." Both women said to their wives with as much determined assurance as they could muster. Neither of the Danvers sister would endure that _ever again.._

"How are they?" Maggie spoke up first to ask the question that was on all of their minds. Lena sighed with Sam beside her. When she saw the head shake from the kryptonian the Captain knew something was wrong. "What is it."

"They were both cast into something that made them trapped in that hell again."

"You mean the chamber?" The Co Director chimed in curious but concerned. Lena nodded. "Fuck." Lucy looked away feeling the chill from the news. When she looked back at both women she knew exactly what they needed. "We need to call J'onn."

"Agreed." Ruby glanced around at everyone in the room then towards the doorway where both sisters were resting. She told her mom she'd be back as she went to Susan and Amelia whom were watching over Rose, playing with puzzles. The young kryptonian was already surpassing normal human intelligence at five years old. She kissed the top of her head then walked out and down the hall. It was time for Skye and as she clenched her fists with her eyes burning orange to red in a matter of seconds, she knew exactly where to start. She'd find whom did this to her other mom and aunt and make them pay..

* * *

He laughed all the way through the townhouse and up the steps to open the door, making his way inside. Even up to the stainless steel fridge to grab himself a beer, he couldn't stop the amusement he felt. They had been far too easy to suck dry and leave in suffering nightmares. He cracked open the brew to bring it to his lips smirking.

"You should have seen it.." He took a few heavy gulps enjoying the flavor tremendously. "Damn this brand is good." A few more long guzzles brought him back to his proud state. "One of them screamed. Actually _both_ of them were shrieking like a couple helpless babies."

His patron that had paid him generously began to chuckle, stepping into the dim kitchen lighting. The slick black suit with the outlined blood red shield bearing the familiar grey symbol resting over the right side of his chest became visible to the alien chugging his beer. "What now?" He opened the fridge for another throwing the empty bottle into the trash can beside the cooler.

"Now...we _wait_. The fools have been too occupied with their own lives and the lives of their offspring to pay any attention to what's been happening outside of the Earth." He drug both unconscious wounded kryptonians over letting them go to tend to his own thirst. The bodies of Alura and the Red Daughter lay motionless just a few feet away from both of them. "Argo has lost both weaklings. My revenge has been sated for now." Non broke out in his own wicked laughter with his chosen ally. After all, it had been _his_ people that had brought him back from the dark valley demons. Now resurrected...he'd have every chance to cast them all to the clutches of ghouls. His perished ex wife's niece and the one Astra had nicknamed " _Brave One"_ had been brought to their knees. It was time to focus on the rest of their little merry group of oblivious weaklings..

* * *

 _ *** Welcome back folks! This will be the third installment in my series and I hope you're ready for another intense roller coaster. Drop me a PM or any comment you have on here for ideas you'd like to see me incorporate into my tale. Enjoy. :)**_

 _ **Enigmea**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Concerning Contemplations (February's Chill)**

Sam came in with a fresh brew for her wife, along with a basket of creamers and a shaker of sugar. She knew just how sweet the ridiculous addict of coffee was and the crankiness anyone whom approached her would endure without at least one cup in her system. The moment she handed it over, along with all the fixings, the smile she received brought butterflies fluttering all over her stomach.

"Thank you baby." Alex purred bringing a slight blush to her wife's cheeks. Sam stood there and watched the routine of additives shaking her head. The Director looked up quirking an eyebrow. "Everything alright Sammy?"

"Skye went out to patrol earlier than she usually does."

"How early exactly?" Alex asked stirring up her cup bending her head down to breathe in the delicious aroma.

"Three AM." Her wife nearly choked on her coffee with first sip from the news widening her eyes some. "Yeah." Both of them sighed knowing for Ruby to leave that early in the morning there had to be a reason. It brought shivers down Alex's spine making her set down her cup.

"Is she.." Sam wasn't sure but she hoped it wasn't why their daughter left before her normal routine. "She can't Sam." Her wife looked out the window, walking over to inspect the view, hoping that Ruby hadn't been hunting.

Ever since the incident with the Danvers sisters that lead to them falling in and out of consciousness for almost two weeks, things had been a little tense for their family. Lucy had overseen the agency with her wife doubling up on patrol. Lena had asked the President for some personal time, which Cat of course approved. Nia did her best with CATCO duties but ultimately left James in charge, while her and Brainy had focused on meditative exercises and temporary dream states for anything to help. Susan had returned to the AOD with Amelia returning to her position so she could not only aid in the recovery of agents, but keep an eye on Alex and Kara with weekly check ups.

"Sam?" The kryptonian looked back as her wife walked up to her which brought her turning around to face her. "What if..is she?" Alex shivered at the notion. "She can't love. She..what if she finds him.."

"If she does I pray she lets us know instead of engaging. Ruby knows exactly what he's capable of Ally." She turned to face the window once more with Alex and her looking out at the city. "Please Rubes.." Sam whispered. _Please Skye...please stay away from him.._

* * *

Lena immediately noticing the sluggish behavior of Kara whom made her way over to the kitchen for her usual morning drink. Emeralds kept an eye on the slight baggs under worn cerulean blues which concerned her but observed quietly. She wasn't sure if she should ask about it, but something told her it was about time to confront her wife.

"Darling?" When the blonde turned her head she could see just how exhausted Kara looked. "Can I ask you a question _without_...upsetting you?"

"What is it Lee." Kara knew just how weak her voice sounded and she attempted to clear her throat while turning back to add creamer to her coffee.

"Baby...you've been like this for almost a week. What's wearing you down darling."

"I…" _You know they won't believe you if you tell them.._ Kara looked from Lena back to the counter shaking her head. "Just patrolling. Maybe I can ask Sam and Ruby to ummm..pick up the slack for me." That sounded good enough, Kara hoped.

"Love.." Lena came closer and brought her hand over her wife's back to softly rub it leaning in. "..are you sure that's all it is?" Kara nodded to lean her head against her beloved. "I just...I worry."

"I know. I really will just have them double up okay?" Their heads parted with Lena patting her back nodding.

"Okay." Lena watched Kara step back with her mug to stroll over to the donut box chuckling shaking her head. "I left you the chocolate glazed." The blonde gave a huge grin flipping the lid to reach in and grab her favorite, literally engulfing it in two bites. Lena rolled her eyes shaking her head smiling. "I've got a few things to go over with our sister okay?" Kara nodded reaching in for a glazed donut. "Enjoy them love. I'll see you later. I love you darling."

"Love you too." She smiled engulfing her second donut as Lena grabbed her purse and keys after slipping her phone in the side pocket, leaving their penthouse. Kara looked at the door when it shut feeling her smile drop turning away to stagger to the table nearly dropping in one of the chairs. "I've got to get a handle on this before...before they find out." She put her head down on the table as her arms slid off it passing back out completely drained of all energy.

She wasn't even aware of another presence approaching her as they'd done every night before. Oblivious and weak, he sprinkled the silver and gold flecks over her head to step back and leave again. His plan would strengthen now that her exhaustion caused her to drift off even in the sunlight hours. This would quicken the process of what was being done to the last daughter of Krypton. Soon... _soon. So very soon, everything_ would change..

* * *

Alex shook away her tired state as she sipped her coffee bending down to open her desk drawer, to grab her espresso bottle. _Two drops should do the trick_.

"Ugh..this is growing so aggravating. Fucking night terrors." She'd been plagued with the memories that the bastard had caused her. Alex kept herself from a drink not wanting to return to that habit. She was two years sober and everyone had kept their beverages down to wine which she didn't mind in the least. Now _coffee_...oh no way in hell would she quit that.

She jumped slightly when her phone buzzed snatching it to see whom was texting her. Her chocolate browns grew larger when she read the message.

 _ **We've caught a dealer. He says one of his clients is Kara.**_

Alex was stunned by the simple twelve words on her screen. "What?" _What the hell is Kar doing?_ Several things ran through her mind and every thought had a grave worry building in her. She quickly swiped her phone to scroll through her contacts, calling whom sent her the text. Four rings later Lucy picked up. "Hey. Did I...did I read.."

" _Either he's lying or he's dying Danvers. I figured you'd wanna be here for the interrogation. I'm trying to get a hold of J'onn but he's not picking up. I've even tried the psychic 411 and that seems to be a bust too._ "

"I'll be right there. Keep his ass chained to the fucking wall alright?"

" _You got it boss. See you in a few._ " Alex wasn't sure what to make of the whole situation. So many questions battered her skull. Now wasn't the time for that talk. No...now was a time to go all Director and Agent Danvers on this cocky little shit..

First things first though as she snatched up her keys her jacket and rider vest to head down to the garage below the luxurious townhouse, her lovely sister in law had given as a wedding present to her and Sam. Alex couldn't shake the grip on her heart by the information delivered.

Down at the garage, the Director made haste over to her shiny black Ducati bike with her signature Phoenix shield along the sides. She unlocked the helmet from the side punching in her code on the deck which popped out the faub from the hidden compartment on the side of the seat. Alex put it in it's slot with the engine's cylinders working their magic while slipping on her helmet buckling it in place. She waited until it was warmed up enough to back out only to speed out of the garage, up the ramp and off to the AOD.

On the way she decided to dial up the rest of their family. It was better that they all be together when it came time to talk to her sister, even though Alex hoped this dealer was just pulling their chain.

"Please, please, please…" _Let this not be right.._

* * *

"Good news darling! I got the reservation for the bay view for us for tonight." Lena excitedly announced after unlocking and opening the door. "Baby, you home?" She set her bag and keys down on the counter, seeing her love's phone and bag still there, looking around about to check the bedroom when her heart stopped only for it to jump start the moment she rushed over. "KARA!" Lena dove down only to see her wife unconscious on the floor with the chair tipped over on it's side. "Kara?" She quickly checked for a pulse feeling relief at finding one. "Kara?" Lena called her name again then carefully checked the blonde for any wounds not finding any. She then rolled her onto her back to slip the hair from her wife's face and pull back her eyelids but what she saw sent an icy chill down her spine.

The kryptonian's normally cerulean blues were far more grey than any overcast set of clouds. But what had Lena trembling the most was the slight silver along more visible veins on Kara's face, even her neck. "Not good, not good.." She dug into her coat pocket to frantically get to her phone with her hands shaking like crazy. Yet before she could make the call she froze from a bigger fear. Then it donned on her that Susan and Amelia were looking after little Rose today. Turning her attention back to the woman, whose head was in her lap, in need of attention Lena quickly called Sam. Yet when it kept ringing with no one picking up she looked down at her wife swallowing down the lump in her throat, noticing the missing call from Alex about thirty minutes ago. "Dammit.."

Desperate times called for desperate measures. Lena scrolled through her last calls to hit the screen bringing the phone back to her ear. "C'mon...c'mon."

" _Hello?_ "

"Ru...Ruby...I...Ruby I…"

" _Slow down Auntie Lena. What's going...I'll be there in a few._ " Lena pulled the phone away only to stare at it as a single tear escaped one of her eyes. Before any other tears could slip down she felt the rush of wind at her face only for a figure with shoulder length brunette hair streaked with auburn's to approach her. Her suit similar to her mother's and aunt's with the House of El insignia that instead of a shield had a circle of flames over her heart like a badge in all black with the suit the darkest of greens, but the coat of arms was of the lightest of greens like a glistening emerald, fit tightly to her well built yet slender body. Skye-Ariea also known to most as _Astra Skye,_ could not shake the darker reds from her glowing eyes. That was until her orbs glanced down at whom was unconscious in her aunt's arms. "Supergirl!" The glow quickly faded with her hazels shaking as she knelt down. She looked from aunt Kara to Lena but the woman nodded and she swept the blonde's body up into her arms to back away.

"Take her. I'll meet you at AOD." Lena struggled to say but knew her niece had got the message. Ruby didn't waste another moment, taking off out of the double doors with her aunt. Now alone in their home, Lena got up shaking off her nerves to right the chair back up then go to pantry and grab kit in back. "She'd been there.." The woman slipped the gloves on and opened her box grabbing the small bristle brush carefully swiping it along the table, all over where no doubt her love had sat. Lena opened the clear bag and gathered every particle she had gathered to sweep into it. She sealed the bag, removing the gloves after dropping the brush in another bag and tossed them in the same back as the brush sealing it too.

Lena quickly dialed another number and was grateful when the person immediately picked up. "Susan! Oh thank Rao. Hey, did you get the message from Alex?"

" _I did. You sound frantic. Rose is okay. She's in the other room with Amelia building the Millenium Falcon. How the hell this kid does this with a set made for adults I'll never…_ "

"Susan.." Lena cut her off swallowing down her nervousness. "I came home to find Kara unconscious on the floor. I couldn't wake her. Ruby just flew her to AOD."

" _Shit.._ "

" _That's a dollar Suz!_ " Lena heard Amelia yell.

" _We need to go to the AOD now Amelia! Kara's down!_ "

"I'll meet you there." She hung up on them before either could respond. Lena gathered up both hers and her wife's bags, their keys and phones. She said to hell with it and went to side of pantry slipping back panel to punch in code. The moment both codes were entered and her retina was scanned the other panel slid back and she grabbed both the holstered alien gun, the box of formulas, and two necklaces Alura have given her for emergencies. Lena wasn't taking any chances and after grabbing everything, including kit and evidence box, she made her way out the door locking up as she left.

After she'd thrown everything in the front seat of her slick dark blue Ferrari and locked the doors to the weapon proof frame, she took off as quickly as she could out and onto the street. The sun had just set as she drove to her building where the agency resided, with several things on her mind. She tapped the button on the steering wheel. "Call Alex." The line rang and rang but after three rings Lena hung up. "C'mon dammit. Fine. Call Lucy." The line rang three times when someone picked up. "Luce! Oh shit I'm glad you picked…"

" _Lena? Lena it's Maggie. Listen...Ruby just got here and Alex is in the interrogation room unleashing hell on a suspect. Are you on your way?_ "

"I am. Susan and Amelia are on their way with Rose."

" _Nia and Brainy have just arrived at the garage. Just get here in one piece okay. I know how you drive and from the sounds of it that's your 812 right? Just don't crash the ferrari please._ "

"I won't. Are everyone's suits in our place still?"

" _As far as I know. Hey SKYE! Our suits still...okay. Okay. Yeah they are._ " Lena felt a little better but her shaking had gotten worse. Who the hell was Alex interrogating?

"I got the message for a Round Table but I wasn't sure what for."

" _Get here and we can talk. Kara is safe and with us Kieran. See you...oh daaaamn.. I'm surprised you haven't gotten a speeding ticket. Ruby hears you at the garage._ "

"Most are on my payroll but they know when it's an emergency. I run the lights on my own. Listen, I need someone...oh hi Sam. See you shortly." Lena hung up and before she could open the doors the kryptonian was there to assist. "Grab the...yeah grab those."

"Kara's with us. Alex had just gotten out of the box. Got your stuff?" Lena nodded snatching up her bag, slipping her phone into it removing key faub from car. They made their way out of the garage towards the doors as the car doors shut and the whole vehicle locked up. "Ruby filled us in."

"I didn't...I felt that if I…" The moment they were off the elevator and had made their way to the med wing, Lucy was walking over. "Here." Mrs. Sawyer looked from the kit and box in Sam's hands to them to the stuff taking what was offered up. "I can explain as we walk. How's Kara?"

"We need to talk." Lucy stated, with both women following close behind her. "Let's get the place sealed up and then I can explain.."

* * *

"What do you mean explain?" Before Lena could say anything else Alex had approached after typing in codes to adjust the vents and rush air through them as a background noise while she locked down the facility with the Nth metal reinforced walls. "What the hell?"

"There's a lot to talk about. C'mon." The three of them made their way into the massive medical wing room where a familiar blonde was laying, yet not under sun lamps. Lena felt something off, especially since her wife wasn't getting any solar absorption. "We can't put them on yet." Alex reached out and grabbed one of Lena's hands squeezing it to let her know she was there with her. The Director pulled her boss back away from Kara and felt her sister in law's resistance to their distance.

"Those your...good." Ruby said as Sam handed her daughter the formula case. When Skye turned around after looking her aunt's direction, she moved away and into the open lab setting what she had in her hands on the table. "We've found traces of two kryptonites in her system." Lena and the others gasped sending shivers down all their spines. "Yeah."

"Wait..how? She's supposed to be immune!" Alex couldn't understand but then it came to her. _Unless_.. "There is a reason I got a hold of all of you." She quickly spoke up seeing Susan and Amelia walk in with little Rose along with Nia and Brainy. "Dreamer, can you take Rose down to the playroom?" Nia nodded and Brainy quickly took his shaky niece in his arms. He knew how frazzled the young kryptonian part daxamite was.

"Alex waited until they'd shut the door, knowing both of them knew the codes, then turned on the vents in the room before filling the walls with the gas used between window panels. "The bastard I've been punching around in interrogation had told me some pretty shady things. I didn't want to believe him _until._..until I forced a little exercise that he'd be crying like a baby to answer everything I demanded of him. Willingly. After that I…"

"We found out that Kara had been going to the dealer." Lucy continued for her practically sister, as far as she was concerned, knowing Alex was too emotional right now. They all were. "She'd been getting doses of ketamine and this." The Co Director set down the paper with everyone's eyes widening. "What Kara had been drugged with in that hell, is...what she'd been buying on the alien trade black market." Lena was floored. They all were.

"That isn't what I saw on her face when I found her passed out on the floor." Lena snarled slightly trying to calm her nerves. It wasn't doing her much good.

"The drug has nothing to do with what you saw and what I found." Ruby interjected. "I found traces of a synthetic gold k and a silver k mixture in her system."

"WHAT?!" A few of them yelled but Ruby held out her hand gritting her teeth letting her eyes partially glow red to shut everyone up. She shut her eyes centering herself to reopen them to their calmer hazel.

"What you saw along the veins in her face and neck wasn't just there. Someone's been dosing her." Skye explained. "Now, I could be wrong here, but I think it wasn't injected."

"Was it ingested like in a drink or food?" Alex asked an even graver concern and fear coursing through her. Ruby shook her head. "Then how?"

"Was it pumped into the air like a gas?" Lucy was trying to figure it out too, hell they all were. But when the young woman shook her head. "How then?"

"Like pixie dust." Susan suggested with everyone looking over at her like she'd lost her mind.

"Yes." Ruby told them with them all looking back at her. "It was thrown or blown on her. If I had to guess, when she's unconscious."

"But I'd...I'd know. Wouldn't I?" Lena didn't like where this was going. Then she thought about how the last few nights, hell the last almost seven nights, when they'd gone to bed she'd found herself a little more tired than usual every night. The pieces began to fit together. "Have Aaron's team go over to my loft. I need a full work up of the bedroom and bathroom. I need to know if I was drugged with something to…"

"To keep you asleep?" Ruby mentioned and Lena nodded. "It's possible."

"Who's been doing this to her...to us?" Emeralds shook when she looked at her wife. "Will what is in her system fade?"

"Her powers aren't gone. I just didn't want to put her under the lamps until I got the results. No one discusses any of this outside of here. Anytime we talk about any of this, it _has_ to be here. We are completely shut off from even any other kryptonian... _listen...ing.._ "

* * *

All eyes fell on Ruby as her eyes burned far passed the red, slipping nearly as black as night. She clenched one of her fists and her throat rumbled. " _I...hear...him.._ " She growled out each word slowly.

"What do you hear Rubes." Alex spoke as calmly as she could. She knew how enhanced her daughter's powers were, how they surpassed her wife's and sister's own immensely.

" _ **Tiv Kuva Rthxurn Tul Zhadif Ahvrig Khuhtiv Jahghah Ihm Zor Ehl..**_ " If ever the darkness was consuming Ruby, it was at that moment after hearing the monster's words.

"That...foolish...humans...never...find out?" Alex was trying to decipher.

"Not find out." Lena grit her teeth already fuming. "Discover...control."

"Human fools with never discover my control over Zor-El." Ruby told them with everyone backing away. Dark waves of energy were surrounding her body emulating along her frame in sharp shades of blood and smoke black. She was quickly losing her cool and she knew it. "Hold on." Ruby tilted her head some shutting her burning eyes listening. " _ **Zhgam Ugem Ahmpahr Rrem Nim Krep Nahn Vah Jahghah**_ of her." She'd never wanted to murder someone before but at that moment her rage at these _two_ evils was pushing her closer and closer to that temptation. "When will we be in control of her." Ruby translated. Their group felt their blood run cold. All but the two kryptonians seething in the room. She looked up forcing the burning glow of dark red in her eyes away to reveal darker hazels of green. "Who is Non." Alex gasped as her entire body shook with unimaginable shock and gut wrenching fear. They all noticed the reaction.

"He...he was...Astra's...Alura's sister's husband." Confusion took hold and she shook her head. "He died. He died..oh my god.." Alex backed up nearly stumbling over a chair in the process as her back pressed against the wall. She brought a hand to her face covering her mouth some with her eyes growing wider in uncaged horror. "She blinded him...she incapacitated him...He tried to...tried to...he was sent with his soldiers..into the station...that...that she flew into space.." She staggered out each word with her vocals as shaky as her body. "He was...was banished. He was blinded.."

"Did he die Alex.." Lena was first to approach her sister in law carefully without frazzling her further. " _Did. He. Die._."

"I don't know.." She wasn't sure. But if Non was back, they were _ALL_ in grave danger. "What did he do to my sister Skye?"

"I...I c...can'tttt.." They all heard the mutter of an unconscious Super which brought all their attention on Kara's mumbling. "Th...they...hum...annn...n...nottt...b...ba..d…." Ruby forced her anger back bringing her head down to her aunt's to calmly whisper to her.

" _ **Ta Nim Ni Zyvzrh Zor Ehl**_." Ruby spoke slowly.

" _ **P...Pil...Z..Zh..Zhehd..dd...Ju...**_ d...dow...down.." They noticed the slivers of silver run along Kara's arms her neck and face as her jaw tightened " _ **Z...zhehd… Udol… Vr...Vraz..hium ..Vrrosh..**_ " Her head slipped back with her body arching up some. "Ex...exile…"

"I'm gonna kill him." Alex growled clenching both her fists closed so tightly she dug into her hand. "He's trying to convince her we're all evil.." They looked at the Director seeing the brown in her eyes darkening from fury. "He wants her to send us to the Phantom Zone."

"Ruby." Lucy tried to speak without her voice cracking. Skye looked at her forcing her eyes not to glow. "How long has Kara been dosed with this."

"Six nights." Lena answered almost sure of it. "I've passed out nearly the same time every night. Today would make seven times. Every morning I've noticed the shades open and the window ajar. I just thought she was getting up in middle of night to either check on Rose or get some fresh air." Lena felt the pieces really begin to fit together. "He's been coming in after knocking me out. Dammit!"

" _ **Zor El… Ni Zrhyth Nahn Bem. Zhav Udol. Non Nahn Udol.**_ " Ruby spoke with as much authority as she could as if ordering her aunt. "Zor-El...we are good. We aren't evil. Non is evil. _**Non Nim Kuvaiuhb**_ to fool you into...turning you. _**Ruhrrhv Cheh**_ orders. Resist his orders...his control over you. Now... _ **Ehsihtn..**_ _AWAKEN!_ "

" _ **EL...MA..YA...RAH!**_ " They heard the power in her scream as her eyes opened, heat vision hitting the ceiling that Lena was grateful she'd reinforced with Nth metal too. She knew as her wife kept screaming that Kara would blow out her powers if she kept burning away at the ceiling. She lunged forward and crushed her lips to her kryptonian love's own forcing all her love and devotion, her strength and protection into that kiss.

Kara's screams were swallowed and finally her heat vision ended before she could solar flare. Her ceruleans came back from the grey they'd been and when their lips parted bringing a whimper from her instantly. Her eyes welled up with tears and the sobbing broke loose. Everyone stepped forward to reach out and touch Supergirl, assuring her they were there for her. "Lee...Lexi...Rubes..Sam...Mag...gie...Luce...Suz...Melia.." Kara couldn't stop the rivers of tears and she knew her body was shaking. "I...didn't want..to...his...voice..I...so scared.." But then she looked at whom wasn't there, concern etching her facial features. "Where's.."

"With Dreamer and Brainy." Susan assured her knowing she was looking for her daughter. "Safe." Vasquez smiled. "Safe." She nodded.

"Sa...safe...I…" She was trembling worse but Kara knew among'st these people, her family, that she wasn't alone. "All here...together.."

" _ **El Mayarah.**_ " They all said confirming her that they _were_ together as one. Their vengeance could wait. They had their angel back and this time...they _wouldn't...let...Kara fall…_

* * *

Alex could barely keep still nor could her sister in law, yet when the doors finally opened to the examination room they felt their hearts race. The look on both mother and daughter, the look on Amelia's face, spoke volumes as to what appeared to be bad news.

"Well?" Lena asked before her Director could. Yet when Sam's face lit up with Ruby giving a thumbs up and Amelia rubbing her sweating face, the two women felt so much relief. "What happened?"

"We were able to extract the two kryptonites from her body." Skye explained, discarding her exam gloves in the trash. "Mom couldn't be in the room when we did it. The three of us may be resistant to red or green k now but...that's why she was being laced with a synthetic gold."

"The bastard was trying to make her susceptible to green again." Alex snarled clenching her fists.

"I believe so." Hamilton added. "The amount of heat she produced to destroy both kryptonites had me sweating bullets, I think literally. I need to use one of the private showers Lena." Kieran nodded smiling to watch the doctor walk away. Susan wasn't far behind her.

"How's she doing Rubes." Alex had been tense through the whole seven hours they'd been in there. Both Lena and her had been through two pots of regular black just to stay alert. They were exhausted and with the news the need for sleep was taking precedence over everything else.

"Resting...finally. I kept shifting between worry to rage, but I centered myself to perform what I needed to for my aunt. I want to hunt the monster down, yet I'm holding back. I'm needed here right now." She could wait. She _hoped.._

"Can we see her?" Lena wanted desperately to slip her hand in her wife's and sit by her bedside with their daughter. "Speaking of…" She snatched up her phone texting Nia, whom immediately called her.

" _Lena? Is she okay?_ " Kieran laughed.

"She is. Wanna bring Rose up here?" Yet Lena heard something that suddenly made her blood run cold by the heavy breathing on the other end. "Nia?"

" _G...get...Sk..Skye..dow.."_ The line went dead before Dreamer could tell her whatever it was. When Lena glanced up Ruby was already down the hallway and around the corner. They all looked at Kieran.

"What's going on Lena?" Sam asked, yet her hearing already picked up why her daughter broke the sound barrier toward where her niece was. She was hesitant to leave them, especially with her sister of Krypton still out of commission, but something told her she needed to meet up with her daughter. Before she could fly off, Sam heard something that chilled her to the bone..

" _ **Zhadif Adif Khuhp Khuhtov Inah..**_ " No longer did she have the will to move, it was as if she'd been frozen on the spot. The words spoken to her through another's power, Sam was far too familiar with. Her own words tumbled out in a whispered tremble.

"Non...is _my_ …"


	3. Chapter 3

**Kept Secrets, Unleashed Fury**

The thoughts crashed at one another like heavy violent waves within her mind, but now wasn't the time for that. Sam forced it back shaking her head reopening her eyes that burned with her power, flying toward where she heard her daughter's heartbeat.

"Hold on Skye…" As she pushed herself to the fastest her body could go, Sam recalled the day that her suit had been changed. Sure, she still wore the famous crest of El but now it had a symbol sacred and precious to her. The outline of a bow and arrow with a moon behind it...the symbol of _Artemis_. Samantha proudly donned that name as her daughter donned the name Astra from Kara's aunt and Skye for what all she'd done for them and how she'd risen above everything no matter how bad it got. _Astra-Skye..._ needed her to be that force to be reckoned with now.

The moment Sam had rounded the corner all hell had broken loose. Nia and Brainy were curled tightly in a protective manor for little Rose, even as Ruby had been taking on a massive alien that was practically built like a tank with how his body appeared to almost be armored. Every punch delivered from her daughter this thing blocked strike after strike and Artemis clenched her fists to fly over to Skye with them both determined to get a good hit in.

The alien obviously wasn't expecting one let alone two kryptonians and with his constant shielding with his arms up, his psychic power was useless. Their attacks were draining him too quickly and unable to look in either of their eyes he knew it was only a matter of time before he'd be down. "Ready.." Sam growled using both kicks and punches now which seemed to knock this alien off balance as he slid back.

"Set.." Ruby snarled with their eyes burning red and both howled out aiming their heat vision at him, then they both swung back a fist only to drive it forward and this time he couldn't fend them off. The alien was launched backward and with their joint strike he hit the wall hard to drop in a heap on the floor of the bay. Quickly agents ran in as their weapons were aimed down at the unconscious monster. Skye and Artemis forced their eyes back to the hazel greens with tension leaving their bodies.

"I want him down at cell block five! Make sure the helix cuffs are on his wrists and around his ankles. I want him blindfolded with the helix mask on! Gag his ass too!" Sam yelled as she and Ruby walked over to a shaken couple with a rather trembling little kryptonian. "Rubes."

"C'mere Rose. It's okay. _**Rrip Nahn Voi.**_ You're safe honey." She cradled her carefully and felt Rose wrap her arms around the back of her neck. Ruby walked out passed the agents, heading back up to the medical wing.

"Holy shit he's huge." Lucy spoke up before her wife could. Maggie watched the alien drug out and they followed their agents down to where they'd keep him and furthermore interrogate him.

"What box?" Mrs. Sawyer asked the agent.

"Artemis said block five." Another agent answered for them. The Co Director and Captain nodded while walking beside the ones hauling the alien down to where he'd be kept for now.

"I've gotta go check on both Danvers okay?" Sam excused herself before either could get another word in. Something was off with the doctor..

"She's waking up." Lena informed Alex and both of them squeezed the blonde's hand just as Ruby walked in with little Rose attached to her tightly. Kieran glanced over and saw just how shaken up their daughter was. Then the first words left her wife and she felt her heart settle back in place.

"L...Lee...Lex...y.." Kara mumbled through the oxygen mask and she felt relief able to see clearly again. Then her gaze caught the approaching duo and she smiled at them watching Rose detach herself some from her niece as she tried to reach out. Her sister moved out of the way some the moment a little hand touched her mother's arm. "Litt..One.."

"Mama!" The little kryptonian gave the biggest smile then clapped happily. Kara looked away for a moment with Amelia nodding then removing the mask. "Mama okay?"

"Mama's okay. Want mommy to hold you so you can be closer?" Rose nodded and Ruby handed her to Lena. "See?" Her wife sat back down leaning over so their daughter could touch her more. "Can't climb on me yet Little One." Kara chuckled. She saw her niece sit beside her other mom. Are we okay to.."

"Yeah. We can talk about it later Kar. Just...let's have some family time okay? You hungry?" Right on time the signature stomach rumbled with everyone in the room laughing.

"I'll take care of the grub. Auntie Alex holds you?" Lena asked. Rose clapped nodding and her sister in law took her niece to swing her around how she liked. Kieran bent down and kissed her wife softly on the lips then winked to step away to place an order from their favorite place. It was then Lena saw Sam walk over to her, motioning her to follow towards the hall. "Hey it's Lena. Yep! Yes indeed! Oh good. Maybe triple orders four through seven and two of nine. Oh, with triple our favorite starters. Thanks hun. See you soon." The moment she got off the phone and slid it into her back pocket her emeralds met shaking hazel greens. "What's up Sam."

"Did you know much about Astra?" Lena wasn't sure what her sister in law was needing at the moment but believed it had something to do with Non being her wife's aunt's husband.

"Not much. Just what Kara has told me. I mean, Alura told me some about her sister when we went to Argo for the wedding there. Why?"

"I was just curious." Lena wasn't buying it.

"Nice try. Tell me what's _really_ on your mind." But Sam just shook her head then sighed to look away. Lena reached out and grabbed her arm. "Talk to me." It was when Hazel greens met her own greens that she really saw just how much Sam's eyes were trembling. It wasn't just her gaze, it was her entire body. Lena could feel it with her hand on her arm. "Sam? Sam, what is it?"

"Let's focus on Kara for now. How is my sister doing?" Both she and Lena knew they didn't need to add the 'in law' to the end of their sentences anymore. Alex and Kara were sisters. Lena and her were sisters. Sam was to Lena as Lena was to Alex. Then there was Maggie and Lucy and even though they were the best of friends to them all, they were family too along with Susan and Amelia, also Nia and Brainy. So with Artemis this shaky Kieran knew whatever it was, it had shook Sam to the core.

"You are lucky I love you. Later. Okay?"

"Okay. Let's get back in there yeah?" Lena nodded and they walked back in to join their family again. Nia and Brainy had come in too.

Now Kara had everyone around her again and as she looked around while her daughter played with her hand, she felt at peace. The voice was gone and the sick tired feeling had left too. Yet even with all the love in the faces around her she saw the worry too. Right now though she just wanted to enjoy the company and breathe easier again..

* * *

"DAMMIT!" He slammed his fist into the dash table uncaring at the damage he'd just caused by his anger. His head spun around to see his soldier shaking in his boots. What?!"

"Um...um…"

"Well spit it out already!" He had no patience for this insolence right now.

"The um...he's been captured General."

"I figured that out already! Just get me the camera crew and order them to do as I commanded or else!" The soldier nodded to run away from him. Non took a deep breath turning back toward the deck window. "I know you're down there. I know you know who I am to you. Soon….soon we will meet. Soon _my_ _**Khuhtov**_ soon."

"General.." He looked over at the Captain. "They are almost set up. Where should we launch the feed?" Non contemplated his options.

"Only to their servers at that ridiculous base of theirs." Non ordered. "Make sure that the time stamp has been changed, so when they go to analyzed it they won't be able to read the files. I don't want them knowing exactly where we are yet." He smiled to walk down the steps and toward the right to the tactics room. It would be a few hours before they could strike. Non had to plan this accordingly, but first he had some adjustments to make. It was time to use the other Kara for his dark intentions to take fruit..

* * *

It had been three days since the Super had gotten back on her feet and as usual both Sam and Lena were out shopping for a special day coming around the bend so very shortly. After six stores, two of them being jewelry stores, they were drawing blanks.

"Frustrating...I swear." Sam grumbled rubbing her forehead setting her latte down on the table they'd occupied after getting their brews. "I mean shit Lee. Like Danvers already has three bikes, thanks to you. She's got a Jag and Mustang...thanks to you.." Lena smirked sipping her own latte. "We've got two jet skis and one yacht and we have access to one of your two private jets. Hell, we've got one beach house in Hawaii...shit Lena."

"Hmm hmm, well...I can always take one of your bikes away." Lena laughed with Sam glaring at her. "Or not."

"If you value your emerald Ducati, you will retract that sentence."

"Duly noted Doctor." Lena rolled her eyes to sip her drink again. Yet still her sister hadn't told her what was bothering her. She wasn't going to push but it was tempting to do so. Lena knew she shouldn't, but she had told Alex what was going on. The fact that Sam hadn't told her wife worried her even more. "Soooo where to next."

"OH! I got it! C'mon." Before she knew it Kieran was being dragged off to who knows where but obviously Sam knew. Might as well run with it.

When the woman had finally stopped, Lena's eyes widened. "Perfect." The CEO sighed shaking her head. "What?"

"Sam...we are _not_ getting your wife any more guns." Hazel greens looked at her with her Sam grumbling. "I swear woman." But when Lena turned her head her lips slid up into the biggest smile. "Perfect." When the doctor looked the same direction, a smile appeared on her face as well. "Let's go look shall we?"

"You got it Lee." Sam couldn't have asked for any place better to look in. As they entered the shoe shop steering right over to the boots category, they knew just what to get the Danvers sisters. Alex had been aching for a new set of black combo style boots and Kara had been looking all over for a pair that would work with her regular Super suit.

"Can I help you ladies?" A sweet and rather beautiful redhead asked them.

"Actually.." Both women said at the same time chuckling. They went about explaining their dilemmas to the employee and she immediately went to work on their list of requirements. They were completely unaware of the stranger that approached them.

"I can't decide which one would fit Mrs. Badass." Sam held up two different boots and even Lena found herself indecisive on that one, tilting her head some. Alex would love them both.

"The one on the right gives that more aggressive racer look." Both of them turned to a gentleman with a set of striking yet captivating grayish blue eyes. They reminded Sam of a pair of wolf's eyes, the way his orbs announced their presence on their prey. Yet in those blues she saw a glimmer of an icy green. The way he looked at them, especially her, left her unable to look away. When Sam heard her sister clear her throat she was finally able to break their gaze at one another.

"I would have to agree. Alex can ride in these too." Lena stated with Sam looking at which one they'd both had picked. She smiled then nodded.

"You picked the right.." Sam looked back to find the stranger gone. She hadn't gotten to thank him and she hadn't even heard his footsteps. Usually Sam could hear someone approaching or leaving. She shook it off smiling. "Okay, I'm set. How about...you.." Lena was surrounded with five pairs. "Oh lordy.."

* * *

Alex rolled her eyes at her niece whom had yet again beat them at monopoly. She looked at her wad of dough then at her sister's. The Director dropped her head then began to laugh.

"Ohhhhh this is rather pathetic Kar. We are having our a.." The blonde looked her way and glared. "...butts handed to us by a five year old."

"Pay!" Rose clapped then held out her hand motioning her aunt to give her rent. Kara broke out in laughter hearing the grumbling from her sister. Alex handed over seventy-five dollars. "Yay! Again Auntie Lexy."

"Uh uh. Go on sis." Alex dropped the dice in Kara's hand. "Roll to pay." The kryptonian shook the two dice in her hand and threw it on the board. After counting what she'd rolled her jaw dropped.

"Ooooo! Pay Mama!" Kara dropped her head, this time as Alex broke into heavier laughter.

"Only you would land on Boardwalk." It didn't help that Rose had a hotel on there.

"Yay!"

"That's it. I'm done Little One. Mama has thirty-one dollars left."

"I've got twelve so we're both broke." Alex told her.

"Play Connect Fo now?" Kara sighed.

"Still having trouble with the _R's_ I see."

"There's a few things. Like the _Ro-de-o_ one."

"Let me guess, she's doing the _Ro-Day-o_ version. I say it that way."

"I learned one way Alex. That's okay though. I'm not sure why the _R's_ are hard for her. That and the _-ur_ things."

"She'll get it. Glad you home schooled her?" Kara nodded.

"She'd be too far advanced for regular schools. I mean _yes_ she has trouble with certain things but...she's already through geometry and like two science classes. I do have to have Auntie Alex...show her how to play volleyball without smashing it through walls." Alex fell over laughing at that one.

Both Danvers sisters were glad for the quality time with the little kryptonian. After everything that had transpired, they needed this more than ever.

"You're up first Ally." Kara smirked knowing her sister didn't care for that name. Yet with her she didn't mind as much. Just as her daughter went to get the box, Kara saw her phone buzz. She'd forgot the ringer was off. "Oops." Snatching up the phone she looked at the screen, taking the call even if it was an unknown number. "Hello?"

" _Yes, this is City Hall requesting a moment of your time for the new build_. _I was wondering if you'd be available to answer some questions regarding this. It will only take about ten minutes._ "

"Sure, I can do that." Kara covered the phone mouthing she'd be right back which Alex nodded. She stood up and walked over to the glass doors, stepping out to the balcony and partially shutting it behind her. "What exactly is being built?"

" _It's not so much of what it is...Kara Zor-El._ " Kara's body stilled, unable to move and unsure why. Was it her uncle's voice that left her frozen or something else? " _Don't warn her and I won't detonate what's been placed._ "

"What would the options be?" She tried to keep her voice calm, but it nearly trembled with what she'd heard him say. Her daughter and sister were in danger. She couldn't say anything.

" _Step away after getting in your ridiculous suit. Tell her you heard someone trying to attack the mayor. Go on. Stay on the line then sound panicked like I know you are Niece."_

Kara didn't wait another moment and slid the glass door open quickly. She dashed past Rose and Alex with both of them looking the direction she went.

"Kar?" Alex noticed Kara in her Supergirl uniform and stood immediately. "Kara what's going on?"

"City Hall just was taken hostage by gunmen. I'll be right back. Can you watch Rose for me?"

"Of course. Be safe okay?" Alex didn't need to go when it was just some idiots thinking pointing guns at officials would get them to surrender whatever they were after. Kara nodded and flew out, keeping the phone to her ear but listening to their heartbeats just in case. When she knew for certain that both were safe, she flew towards city hall. Supergirl knew that she was running head first into danger without any backup, yet for this... _this_ was personal..

"Where."

" _Two buildings behind. Go to the left one. The factory. If you warn ANYONE, you will be responsible for their end._ " She stopped mid air and swallowed down what she'd heard. " _Do we have an understanding dear Niece?_ "

"Understood." Kara responded and flew down to where she'd been told. As she landed with ease she walked over and to the doors with one partially open. Kara looked up and slightly around, noticing each little detail but the place gave her goosebumps on her impenetrable skin. She knew this was a risk without notifying anyone but she had to do this. Kara stepped inside as she pushed the door open with it giving off a creaking sound. "I'm here Non." She would not back down after what he did to her. "What do you want?"

"You to fall." Kara flipped around just as the blast hit her full force catapulting her body up in the air only for her to drop to the ground unmoving as she groaned from the strike and impact. Non walked out and raised his hand signaling his soldiers to leave them for now. He'd call them back if need be. His niece had yet to lift from the ground. "Adamantium, titanium and kryptonite. That's what brought you down." He wore his shield, protecting him from the substance of their deceased planet. "It's a shame that you're vulnerable to that again isn't it?"

"Wh...wha.." She could barely move and even turning her head hurt. She was certain half if not all her suit had been scorned. Kara could feel the dislocations, possibly broken bones. Unable to even raise her arms she was helpless and her uncle circled her body slowly almost victoriously. His snickers and enjoyment brought shivers through her with even that hurting.

"It had been far too simple to wear you down and bring you to the point of madness. I almost had you. Have they found a way to make you impervious to both kryptonites I'd brought you each night? Guess it's time to find out." Non smiled holding up a syringe preparing to inject the strongest dose he had into his niece. "This will make you my perfect little soldier.."

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Ruby yelled and slapped Non away which brought him slamming against the wall so hard he went right through it. Skye listened carefully which let her know the General was out cold. Yet now she was surrounded by soldiers whom aimed guns with a green glow emulating from the barrels. She lifted her head and growled with her eyes burning blood red. " _Run_.." She snarled and with her low sinister tone they backed away dropping their guns and taking off quickly. Ruby hadn't even realized the aura that was radiating from her body of dark blood red and black. It was as if smoke was rolling off her.

With them alone, she returned her attention to her aunt. "Supergirl.." She was in bad shape but as she went to lift Kara up she heard another groan. Ruby used her more enhanced vision then gasped at whom she saw. She dashed over only to see the Red Daughter in a cage. Skye studied the metal and knew exactly what it was. " _ **Tul Bem**_ Red Daughter." She didn't care what rose within. Ruby welcomed it, embracing it. Her eyes burned darker and darker and she reached up, grabbed the bars and pulled. She howled out forcing them to bend until she ripped them away from one another letting go with the bars flung away. Ruby did the same to two more and when there was a large enough space she walked in, reaching down to her other aunt. With the Red Daughter in her arms she stepped out and brought her over to Supergirl.

With two of Kara's gravely wounded, Ruby knew she couldn't carry them both safely. It was time to call in the rest of their team. She shifted her belt and slipped the hidden compartment back. Sliding her phone out Skye immediately dialed the crew. "Guys! Shut UP for a moment!"

" _We hear ya Ruby._ " Lucy responded first as the others quieted down. " _What's.._ "

" _RUBY I'M COMING!_ " Sam yelled with everyone talking at once trying to figure out what's going on. It didn't take long for Artemis to fly in, surprisingly in her own suit. "What hap...oh my god."

"Grab one of them and I'll get the other. Careful Mom." Sam nodded and they lifted both up slowly hearing cracks when they slid them in their arms against their chests. "Shit."

"Let's go." Mother and daughter flew out together with both Kara's in their arms. As they flew towards where he knew their pathetic little gang was, Non smiled even on the ground. His granddaughter sure packed a punch. With that kind of force he could bring them all to their knees. He had some work to do to prepare that Kryptonian's downfall into his grasp..

* * *

"I knew something was wrong." Alex brought her niece in then gasped at what she saw. "Kara!" She nearly dropped little Rose but Ruby was quick to take over the little one. Her eyes roamed over both her sister and the other Kara with tears trailing down her face. "Are they.."

"They're both alive Alex. I don't know where to start here."

"I'm here Sam!" Amelia announced her presence, running in noticing just how badly they were. "They're.." She shook that away and noticed how much Sam's hands were shaking. Hamilton looked into Artemis' eyes. "You good?"

"We're good." Alex spoke up somehow calming her own shaky hands. She had to focus here. "Let's glove up and start from there.."

"Hey we got a...call.." Maggie's eyes widened with Lucy stopping beside her. "Little D?"

"Sam! Dammit woman what had you running off?! KARA!" Lena didn't care and ran over to her wife looking to pull her into her arms but Sam stopped her. "Let..me..go Samantha." Kieran warned, but Sam pushed her back. "Who did this?"

"Non." Ruby growled after handing Rose to Maggie.

"Non?!" Alex knew her heart was racing now. "Are you sure it was him?"

"I smacked him down to get him away from Aunt Kara. He dropped this." Ruby handed the syringe over carefully. Somehow, she found herself being the one to deliver what could hurt her family. She was glad that was something she could do, for Skye didn't want anyone in their tight group to suffer if she could help it. "I should have kill.."

"You _can't_ do that Astra-Skye." Sam rarely used Ruby's warrior name that way.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Are YOU _defending_ him Sam?!" Maggie was right up in the woman's face now. She closed her fists tightening them, feeling the rage Ruby showed. "How can you be hesitant to find the monster? Do you not _see_ what he's done to them! To Kara! _LOOK_!" The Captain yelled at the kryptonian while pointing to whose life could have ended. "Why would you stop us from hunting him down!"

"We need to focus on my sister and the other Kara guys! STOP this!" Alex shouted with both of them stepping away from one another. "I need my kit and a bucket and rags." She caught the gloves her wife tossed her as did Amelia and Ruby. Sam gloved up and stepped forward.

Lena yearned to help, grateful as Sam tossed her a pair of gloves too. More than a dozen degrees were enough to prove she could help. This wasn't going to be an easy feat..

* * *

Brainy and Nia sat with their legs crossed facing one another. He knew that his fiance was troubled. Her visions were growing stronger, yet...she still couldn't harness what she sought. Nia had tried to push her latest one but couldn't get much, until one struck her so hard she felt her body spasm.

"Nia what is it?" Brainy knew whatever she was seeing wasn't good. "Dreamer... _Dreamer..come back.._ " When his love gasped onto the grip her stomach curling into herself, his worry grew. "Nia?"

"It's...it's bad. Really bad Brainy." She explained, using his real name, slowly uncurling but tucking her knees against her chest. When her eyes met his he felt his own shiver. "Kara can't go back to Argo." Nia couldn't stop the trembles that raked her body. " _She'll die_ …"


	4. Chapter 4

**Driven To The Edge (March)**

Her Director reviewed the budgets for mileage and training supplies, that had both of them grumbling. Just to test out new recruits with background searches was getting to be a royal pain. Alex was skimming the layouts for the new gyms and Lena the spread sheets for reviews on aptitude tests, bringing on the headaches.

"We need to raise the grade on attire and equipment. I can't have something breaking and some poor dope sent off to the emergency room Boss." Danvers brought up a legitimate point to the table. "We've had two in a cast with one dragging ass with his limp. Not to mention bruised ribs and black eyes." Lena looked up for a moment then sighed.

"You have to keep on the scores and the diagrams Alex. Those that failed the entrance exam shouldn't even be on the mat, let alone any part of the gym." She wouldn't overlook this direction that her chosen leader needed to take more initiative on.

"I got it I got it, sheesh. Just don't push the budget cuts alright?"

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm the Director and you're my Boss." Lena chuckled with Alex doing the same. Yet her thoughts drifted off from their much needed focus. They'd been that way for the past two weeks. She looked up again and this time she met her sister in law's gaze. "Have they found anything?"

"Unfortunately no. I know where you're coming from Lena. I've been thinking about that too but...I'm trying not to let it distract me from this stuff. I've got an agency to run and with it I can't let what's bothering us take me away from my tasks."

"It's been two damn weeks. Why has no one turned up anything? How could he have just disappeared like that.."

"I don't think that's the _only_ answer we've been seeking." Both women looked at one another again, their gazes locking this time tightly. "She still hasn't told me." Lena's eyes widened. "Yeah."

"Have you grilled her yet?" Alex shook her head. "What's stopping you." The Director stepped aside and walked over to the window, looking out into the clear blue sky. "Do you want me to do it?" Lena made her way to where Alex was standing.

"I don't want it to seem like I'm interrogating my wife Lena."

"I know Alex. I get that but, I want to get to the bottom of what's bugging her. She wouldn't be this closed off especially since.." Neither of them wanted to think about that. They'd set themselves up a makeshift office while able to keep an eye on both Kara and the Red Daughter they'd named Karen. It was the only way they could keep them apart in conversations.

Sixteen surgeries on Supergirl, ten on the Red Daughter and yet neither had woken up. At first it had been tears and fury, then teams sent out to find the bastard only to end up with no leads. Lena had been the first to crumble with Alex not far behind her. Ruby had been the one to perform most of the procedures. Still Danvers and Kieran couldn't keep their hands steady. Sam had vomited when they'd had to pull Kara's Super suit from where it was wrapped around one of her intestines. The bruises were both external and internal and it lead to massive swelling of Karen's brain.

They were lucky to be alive and despite what had happened the Director and her Boss had to keep the agency up to par. If they didn't it was possible that when they needed their agents most to take on Non that they wouldn't be ready for that encounter. So even though their thoughts were on the other room, they had to work harder than ever to shift their gears for war. That's what it was and when they had their chance they'd strike with fire and fury.

"Hey Alex. Lena." Amelia popped her head in the doorway. "Kara's waking up." Both women had never moved that fast but they had sure set a record that's for certain. Rounding the corner both slid in practically, only to be met with a set of sky blue eyes looking their direction.

"Kara." They said at once and Alex ran over to one side with Lena making her way to the other. Even with her bandaged hands she reached up for theirs and they obliged her request instantly. With everything that had happened to both kryptonians they'd set up two stronger sun lamp beds. Unfortunately, it was taking longer than usual for them to heal. They couldn't be placed on them until one week later, leaving both kryptonians vulnerable to infections or more critical injuries. Luckily their surgeries had been successful. _So far_..

"C...ca...hav..wat.." She attempted to get clear enough words out, but her throat was sore and dry. Even though she felt the radiation of the lamps she also felt the throbbing aches that her body had incurred by her evil uncle. Just the very thought of what he had done, brought a sinister pain to her mind and even her body.

"You got it sis." Alex reached over to grab the pitcher along with a cup and Lena handed her a straw after pulling off the paper from it. "Slow sips okay?" She bent the straw and tilted the cup some to make it easier. They watched nervously seeing just how little Kara could move her lips over the straw. "Slow sips Kar." Alex pushed her words a little more so her sister would listen and acknowledge what she was telling her. A weak draw in but at least some of the water had made its way into her mouth. Kara took in more and slowly swallowed it down. "There you go."

"Doing good baby." Lena encouraged holding onto her wife's hand, stroking along the uncovered and gratefully unharmed knuckles. "That a girl."

Kara pulled back her head enough to clear her throat some looking at them both, an evident expression of concern on her face.

"Where is...Lit..One?"

"With Ruby and Sam. She's safe darling." Lena ensured her love.

"Non.." It wasn't just Kara that shook from one simple and cruel name spilled from her trembling lips. It had struck the two of them with a brutal and violent force, that couldn't stop the thundering within their chests.

"Not found." Alex attempted not to have that growl be heard but she knew her sister had picked up on the uncaged rage in Danvers' voice.

"He...threat..ened...Rose...an..you.." The Director's body had been slammed with both shock and understanding as to why Kara had left without letting her know whom was on the other line.

" _That's_ why you left.." She had to know and the confirmation came when Supergirl nodded. "He told you we were in danger didn't he?"

"Tol...told me...not to...or I woul..d..be responsi...ble f...for your d...deaths.." If ever that rage had bubbled to the surface, it was right then. Both Alex and Lena were sure that those four walls surrounding them had now been engulfed in flames by the fury at hearing what the monster had told their angel. "Sa...m.." They turned around to see who approached wearing her suit.

"Leave us." Artemis sternly told both her wife and sister in law. Neither Alex nor Lena budged from where they stood and with that stubbornness Sam's eyes began to glow. " _Leave...us.._ " She spoke again and this time both stepped away. Something was off with the kryptonian and her posture screamed the rage they had felt when Kara had told them what Non had said to her.

It was at that moment that all three of their phones rang and even Kara's buzzed on the counter across the room. Alex quickly made her way over to see the group messaging line.

"Danvers." Alex answered.

"Kieran." Lena chimed in.

"Artemis." Sam responded.

" _Guys! Turn on your screens! NOW!_ " Lucy screamed at everyone. Lena snatched up the remote to the private AOD line with them gasping at what they saw on the room's monitor.

A familiar man came into view on the TV but it was Sam whose phone slipped out of her hand and onto the tile floor with a noise loud enough to catch all their attentions.

" _That's_ …" Her eyes weren't the only ones quivering. Lena's were too. The man they'd seen in the shoe shop was the very same one before them on the screen now.

" _Hello little pests of this new 'Angels of Diversity' agency. Such a change from the once known DEO long ago, though not so long at all. My name is General Non and a few of you know EXACTLY who I am to the pathetic flying abomination you call Supergirl. You had caught me by surprise last time dear Niece when you got your lucky strike in. No thanks to you, it had taken me some time to recover from my loss of sight you were responsible for. Now that I've returned, I will give your little group one option and only one. You will KILL Kara Zor-El or I will destroy this putrid place you call Earth. Last time we had come to save this planet from destruction and chaos. I know of the battle from the World Killers for I created one. She is my daughter you call Samantha Arias, well...Samantha Kor-El._

 _It seems my flesh and blood, as well as my deceased wife's, had bred and hid the offspring of our line from even me. So it is only fitting since the one known as Alexandra Danvers, that Astra called 'Brave One', be the one to make the final blow to Kara Zor-El just as she gave my dead love. It will be in the same manner, with that very same sword. But I don't just want that._

 _Samantha will make her daughter, my granddaughter, kill Alexandra with that sword still dripping with my niece's blood. It should be slowly and painfully as it is pushed into her chest and our newest generation looks down into the eyes of a human's agony. I will watch this feat and I look forward to the moment the glow of the blade stained with Zor-El's and Danvers' life pushes out of the murderer's back._

 _An eye for an eye and one family, one house, to end another then repeated in an even score. You have twelve days to execute them both in the manor I've given. Twelve days._ "

The feed cut out, leaving behind a darkness in its wake. Staring into that endless black abyss, their images gazing back at them were a mirrored reflection of restricted frames.

" _We will be there as soon as possible._ " Maggie told them.

" _Dreamer and I shall arrive shortly._ "

" _Suz and me are on our way up._ "

The three of them looked back at Kara, whose eyes trembled with pure fear etched along her face. Then Alex and Lena glanced Sam's way after the angered kryptonian had ripped the chair she'd been gripping, right in half, only to fling them backward as the pieces hit the wall. Her eyes burned like wildfires drenched in the blood of a thousand screaming souls.

"Sam's…"

"Kara's.."

" _Cousin_." Kieran and Danvers let that one title fall within the four walls they resided in.

" _ **El May...a..rah Sehjehb..**_ " Kara attempted to speak to Sam with as much volume as she could push from her throat. To her, they were as close as sisters and even though this new revelation revealed something neither had expected, they were family nonetheless. Cerulean met a set of hazel once Artemis' eyes quit glowing and both nodded in agreement.

They all held many questions, with some they yearned to ask, but for now it could wait. How he could ever think they'd actually end both Danvers' sisters lives, was the deranged mind of nothing but a mad man. Lena thought Lex had driven into the depths of true insanity and the darkest of pits. No, Non had surpassed him just with his psychotic demand of ruthlessness. Time to survey the situation from every perspective and observation they had..

* * *

Amelia walked out shaking her head, as the group in a room over awaited some positive feedback to ease their concerns. When Hamilton came into view that first true locked gaze was with Skye. Just that one look into those darkened orbs and she knew how much they needed good news right now. Yet she didn't bring what they sought and looks of hope became frowns just from her grim expression.

"Our other Kara didn't make it." None of them were ready for what they'd just heard with the ones that were standing having to reach out to grasp something to keep them up. Those that were sitting either slid back or dropped forward with their heads down. They could have never predicted this. Yet one of them _had_ seen it.

" _My vision_." Nia's response brought everyone looking her way. Dreamer felt her entire being tremble from the realization. "I saw Kara die….but...but it was on Argo." Brainy sat beside her taking one of her hands squeezing it. "It wasn't here."

"What you _saw_ …" Lucy stood up and walked out into the other room, only to return with a painting that had been on the wall which she dropped at Nia's feet. A few of them were ready to jump on the Co Director's actions but when they saw exactly what the painting was of, their questions might be possibly answered. "Kara painted that after she got back from seeing her mother again. She hung it in the sun lamp room and when the new beds were set up the painting was brought in. It was hanging on the wall. Is _that_ what you saw?"

"Yes." _How could she have been so wrong?_ How had Nia not noticed this picture before, when she'd been in that room more than once..

"When did you have...this vision Nia?" Alex didn't mean to sound harsh but now that she'd heard this it terrified her. " _When_."

"Two weeks ago." Gasps filled the room along with a hard slam down on a metal table.

"WHAT?!" Danvers was gonna blow. "You had this _two weeks_ ago and _NOW_ you tell us?!" Nia had tears draping down her face knowing how wrong she had been to keep this between her and her fiance. Alex was just about to continue her tirade until the scream of her sister brought them all off their asses and into the other room.

" _NOOO!_ " Kara was trying to push her body up from the sunbed but it was the Director whom forced her back down. "No Alex... _no_.." Suddenly Alex felt so wrong for screaming at Nia, when the sobs and trembling from her sister raked her frame so hard that Danvers felt her own body shake just by her hands on Kara's arms. "No... _Rao_ no.."

Lena had been the first to bring up what was on all their minds, taking a deep breath before stepping forward, reaching out to take one of her wife's hands immediately realizing how bad the tremors were from their broken hero.

" _How_ Hamilton.." Amelia took a deep breath looking from _their_ Kara to the other whose chest didn't rise and fall like it should have.

"There were seven blows to her skull. Two from the back, three on the left, and two on the right. Three of her upper ribs had been cracked from two solid brutal impacts. No matter how much we drained the fluids of the bleed, her brain swelled to the point there was nothing more we could do. Her right lung had collapsed, there was bleeding of the stomach. The damage...there was far too much to treat in time. I'm sorry." Hamilton threw her gloves in the trash can walking out unable to stay in the room with them.

"Kara? KARA!" Alex watched her sister's blood pressure drop suddenly with Kara's chest falling and not rising again. "No no no…"

" _Wait_!" Brainy shouted nodding to Sam whom forced Alex back.

"KARA!" No. No, she _would not_ lose her sister today. "Let..me.. _GO_!" But just as she felt her own heart become like ice only to shatter, she saw Kara's chest rise as her BP evened out. " _How?_ How did you.." Brainy pointed to Supergirl's hand.

"The gift of one that left her is the one that found her again." His riddle may have seemed off even confusing, but to all of them it made perfect sense. Mon-El's ring had protected her yet again and when Kara needed it most.

"I don't understand." Lena was relieved her wife was still breathing and with them but she was more than confused. "She was connected to _our_ Kara."

"The birth of Rose severed that bind of interwoven fates." Ruby explained. "Think about it. The first branch of life hadn't come to fruit until they defeated the World Killers. The cycle of first life had been after her encounter with the Harun-El." She stood now before her dark aunt laying a hand over her heart. "She deserves the rights of a true kryptonian, for that is what she always was."

They hadn't realized that a set of shivering blues were locked on the body of the Red Daughter. One whimper and heads turned.

" _ **Khap Tul Sern Rrip.**_ "

"Aunt Kara...you _can't_ in the condition you are in." Ruby was attempting to get her aunt to back down, yet knew she wouldn't be able to.

"No. _**Khap**_ will..join _**Rrip**_ Skye." One nod and they both fought the tears swallowing down the pain. But when Kara turned her head to look into her beloved's eyes, she steadied her focus and released the words she was thinking. " _I must go back_." Lena's emeralds widened and she shook her head in absolute panic.

"NO Kara! You _can't_!" The blonde shook her head only to look back at who had risked their own life for her wife's. "You _can't_ do that again.." Kieran wouldn't let her attempt that, when the last time she'd tampered with the past it had donned another life capable of a power that could have killed her. "I won't let you. I can't Kara.."

"Then bring me up Ruby. I must at least do this." Kara needed and felt that pull to right this wrong, despite everyone's protests. Yet it was Nia that stepped forward and when her gaze met her mentor she made sure the person she looked up to most, _knew_ her next words were to be heard and acknowledged.

"Where you had flown up into that violent storm, you returned by Rao's blessing and a darkness came to life. You told me how you felt like a part of yourself was missing. Well that had been her. Tell me, does it seem like you are whole once more? Or is that emptiness still within you, perhaps even worse now.." Dreamer reached out and placed a hand on the side of Kara's head. "She has not truly died. She's returned within you. I had a vision of you dying on Argo. I was merely seeing a death fueled by pain and a life of renewal. You both have suffered by fate's cruel game. When you believe you've lost, you have really rose above what has been thrown at you."

Nia's speech had everyone reaching inside the depth of their being. They thought about what Dreamer's words meant. She was right and they all knew it. "In the end, the darkness had lifted when it was meant to, that which the void kept imprisoned had been freed. You feel this pain for a loss of one that had actually been you all along. You gave her this chance to be a hero and by doing that you were reminded that you still are. Do not mourn her but rather celebrate her time with you in this precious way."

" _Will you_...will you _join_ us to see her off?" She was asking her friend and sister of their galaxy to take part in something sacred to the kryptonian way. When Nia smiled nodding, Kara knew it was time they all were informed of what she had just recently learned. "She saved our mother." Gasps filled the room. "She..she whispered to me that mom is safe now. She saved Alura from Non. Mom escaped and she paid the price."

"When had you.." Alex didn't understand.

"Aunt Astra told me when I dreamed. She said my mother Alura flew again but at a cost far too great to comprehend." Kara now knew what her aunt meant by that. "Help me up Ruby."

"Wai...wait Kar." Alex looked at her sister's pale complexion that riddled her appearance along with her weakened state when she moved. "You aren't healed sis."

"I must do this." Kara wouldn't take no for an answer. "Skye, I need you to fly to the fortress and retrieve what you know I seek for this." Ruby nodded and stepped away to fly out quickly. With her niece gone, she shut her eyes to calm and decompress from the loss she felt. Though as difficult as it was to grasp for her, Nia was right and even though it was a reminder of fate's cruelty, it was unfortunately the truth.

Kara couldn't show what she had always kept buried from them all and even herself. Though she suffered within, she felt that anger she had only shown once when on red k. It had begun to boil over and fill her with a wrath that was far too close to her uncle's own darkness. Non was ruthless and a murderer, but Kara knew that their blood bond rang true. She would make her uncle suffer this loss. He would be sentenced to the ultimate price, by _her_ very own hands. Non would pay, with _his life_..

* * *

When Ruby returned with what her aunt had sent her for, both mother and daughter carefully placed the _Red Daughter_ in the capsule that somehow hovered above the stone tiles under their feet. Kara would not let herself be wheeled out to the roof's veranda, when she needed to be stronger more than ever for one of their fallen. Even on the crutch, with bandages wrapped tightly around parts of her not fully recovered, she pushed herself to whatever limits it would take.

Sam stepped back to look her wife's way then to her sister with shaky emerald hues. When her head turned and she saw Nia hesitantly step forward, she yearned to know why no one else had come over to join them. But looking into those chocolate browns, when Alex shook her head from a distance, made Sam want to know even more.

"Why are they.. _.why_ Kara.."

" _Right of Passage_ Mother." Ruby spoke as if her word was law. She dared not look at her mom for if she did she too would want to break tradition and let them all come over. Yet Skye was shocked when her aunt glanced over to the group, motioning for them to join the kryptonians in this sacred time.

"I want you _all_ here. I want you to know what is said if…" She had to take a moment to center herself again before continuing. "..if ever any of us are…" Kara felt her sister's hand on her arm and she reached up taking that hand to bring it over the capsule, waving their joined ones along the top where a symbol of a shield and a crescent moon emulated a blue glow. Then a warm light appeared at the head of the one closed within it, revealing her to them once more. " _It is our custom for a surviving female to lead the rite."_ Kara explained taking a deep breath as she dropped the crutch at her feet opening her eyes once more. She would not break when she must remain strong.

" _ **You have been the sun of our lives..**_

 _ **Our prayers will be the sun...that lights your way on the journey home.**_

 _ **We will remember you on every dawn..."**_

Though fighting back tears, she looked up and took one of Ruby's hands squeezing it gently. She felt Alex place her own on one of Kara's shoulders with Lena's on the other. Supergirl reached out as Artemis took her other hand. Then she watched as Sam held out her left one to Nia that graciously accepted this bond. Supergirl looked into Skye's eyes and nodded, seeing her niece's tears slipping down as well.

" _ **..and await the night..we join you in the sky.."**_

Somehow Ruby had joined in that verse and when she looked at her mother she knew that both of them could speak those last sacred words. Looking back at her aunt she'd heard how everything their light said was trembling of immense pain and unimaginable sadness.

" _ **Rao's will be done."**_

" _ **Rao's will be done**_ **."** Everyone said together. They watched as Kara barely touched the side of the capsule and yet it floated away, only to be brought up into the sky and towards the heavens then finally disappear out of even kryptonian sight. Yet when they could no longer see it, Kara felt her body lifted up regardless of the wounds still visible, until her own figure hovered away from the building but above the paved ground below. Every bandage, wrap and brace over Kara's injuries unwound and slipped right off of her.

"Aunt Kara?" Ruby looked up as did her mother. The others tilted heads up as well, gazing at their rising kryptonian bringing a sheer tug at them all. " _ **Zor-El**_?" Skye tried again. Sam noticed her daughter's concern and when she moved to the right she saw something different, almost. _..eerie.._ in Kara's eyes.

" _ **Rao's...will be**_ _.."_ Blind to some unknown invisible force surrounding her, Kara's hands suddenly came together to grab the ring and slip it off where it had been residing. Those same words left her lips again, but it was how they were said that dug into the group like the claws of a grave fear tearing into their bodies and restricting their airways. " _Rao's..will...be…_ " Unable to say the last of the prayer she sought to finish, she couldn't hear the strangled screams from her family nor feel when her head fell back as darkness seized her in its clutches. Her limp frame plummeted towards the ground with the ring of her ex dropping as she was, far too quick for most of them to act upon. _All_...but two _.._

" _NO_!" Sam just moved as if she was the very wind, lunging down to catch her sister that was also her cousin but to her that didn't matter for she was family nonetheless. She promised to Rao then and there that she would look after Kara, now more than ever. This was her mentor she had learned from and looked up to, now in her safe arms that gave her heart a chance to beat again. Sam floated back down to where everyone else was too shaken to respond. As her feet touched the stone surface she carefully lowered Kara's body down, where both Alex and Lena were waiting on their knees accepting who had been brought back to them. "She's safe now. She's safe."

Sam looked up into her daughter's eyes and saw something she hadn't witnessed there since Reign. She said it once more and this time to Skye. "She's safe."

Ruby broke their gaze to glance down at her aunt that she knew had been suffering. Yet something told her to look back into her mother's eyes, but it was one set of uncurled fingers that caught all of her attention. Now visible to her she saw the slight glisten of a single ring snapped in half and Skye knew what that meant. They'd already lost the Red Daughter. They'd nearly lost their beautiful light too.

Artemis slid her gaze to Dreamer's as she showed Nia what resided in her hand. The Naltorian knew then and there that Kara hadn't been aware she'd taken Mon-El's Legion ring off. It wasn't an attempt to stop the agony she felt at losing that part of her she could not embrace again. Something else was at play and they sure as hell were going to find out what. A Legion ring shouldn't be able to crumble that way. Attempts to calm any of their heart beats didn't last long when the body they all surrounded arched up and started to seize dangerously.

"No no no...Kara don't you do this to me again!" Alex knew they had to get her back under the lamps and for that matter into the med bay. But it was Sam to push through, snatch up the thrashing one and whisper something to Kara with not _her_ voice but _Reign's_. One minute later, when her wife was ready to rush her in, the tremors stopped and the hero's body relaxed as Sam's eyes and voice returned to normal. "What..?"

"There is a reason why she fell. I know how she survived what happened to the Red Daughter. Even when their spirits were reunited, the Legion ring kept all else at bay." Their pulses raced with hearts pounding realizing just how Kara had come out alive after everything. But Sam knew what her wife's heart was doing. She heard the heavier breaths coming from her and with the tightness of her muscles, it was bound to come out a little sooner than she'd thought. Danvers' wheels were turning in the deepest of thoughts.

"She..she removed it? Why? Why would she.." Alex's eyes shook with what she knew to be the truth, that was short lived though as the stunned temper shifted to one of an obvious pent up anger. "She...she _wanted_ to.." It was too much for her to handle and she pushed back from everyone to walk away before she blew. When she stopped, with all eyes on her, both her hands closed and fists tightened with her head up towards the sky. " _RAO_! If you hear me you bastard and you _BETTER BE_.." She didn't give a shit about the possibility of consequences. "...you will _NOT_ take _MY SISTER TONIGHT_! _DO WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING YOU SELF CENTERED PRICK?!_ "

"Alex.." Sam was ready to approach with the rage thrown at their light of Krypton. That name was sacred and her wife was yelling at him. "Alex please." She had to make her love understand the whole picture. "Alex. Alex! _Look_." She stood by her showing her then, the broken ring and immediately the yelling died down with one solid gasp leaving quickly only for Alex to faint from shock. "I've got you. I've got you baby." Sam lifted the spent Director up to carry her back over to the group. Her eyes met her daughter's and then wide trembling ceruleans of her little niece. "They're both safe Rose. This I promise you." She knew just what the young kryptonian had felt. It was as if she was an adult trapped in a young child's body. Little One knew far more than any of them could grasp at her age. "I promise." Sam just hoped it was one she could keep, even for _herself.._

"Let's get them both inside now." Ruby lifted her aunt with everyone else following them back into the building to tend to the Danvers duo. As they descended the stairs on the way to the AOD med bay, their thoughts were in tatters by the actions of both Kara and Alex. One lost and one terrified, then two with rage bubbling up not yet to break the surface. They could not lose it around the rest of their family. They had to be that strength that Supergirl had shown when she stood without aid and lead the Prayer For the Dead.

When they all were in the med bay once more, Sam waited til the last of them filed in and shut the door behind her. Heads turned with eyes on that one action. She took a moment to prepare herself and walked over to where both Danvers had been placed.

"Let's get them both hooked up and then I will explain." Sam told Amelia and Lena, then looked into her daughter's worried eyes. "Trust me." Ruby nodded with the three of them getting things situated. It didn't take long for both sisters' levels to even out once more. Their pulses were calm, their BP at ease.

"Okay Mom." Ruby set down the pen on the pad where she was writing down both of their vitals, crossing her arms in a more guarded fashion. "What's going.." Her eyes froze at what Artemis dropped into the metal dish on the tray. "That's.." The symbol of the Legion along the side caught their gaze, but it was how it was positioned that seemed... _off_

"How the hell?!" Lena couldn't wrap her head around what she was seeing. She wasn't the only one.

"Something...something _made_ Kara remove the ring right?" Lucy questioned as Sam nodded. "Wait...it's...how the...it's in pieces?" Something about what lay in shambles before their very eyes left a deathly chill down their spines.

" _What...did that.._ " They all wanted to know, so it wouldn't happen again. As sacred of a time as it had been of one shared, that they hadn't expected to be that close to witness, then one feat of high honor; cast doubt with fearful consequence tightening its clutches around all of them. They needed now to understand from the perspectives of two and then... _then_ unleash all hell on the one responsible for all this madness...for _everything_..

* * *

Frustration was building to no end for her and the caffeine didn't seem to be helping anymore for the Director. Luckily, Alex had come to in time to do some damage control. She'd sent five teams out to investigate the latest leads and awaited answers she was hoping to get with their return.

"To hell with this." She dumped the disposable cup into the trash. Coffee wasn't dulling the headaches anymore. Three days in, to this twelve day ultimatum and she felt absolutely sick to her stomach. It didn't help her appetite was all screwy as well. On a _just in case_ mode, she had Sam and Amelia run tests on her. Brainy and Nia did their own checks too. Hell, Ruby ran a few with her latest machines yet still everything came up empty.

To make matters worse, Kara had come to only a handful of times and passed out too quickly for them to get answers from her. Her cells weren't absorbing sunlight the way they usually would. Little Rose had become so restless that Lena was forced to send her with the engaged couple to a much safer location. It killed Kieran to not have their daughter here, but desperate times called for more drastic desperate measures.

"Any luck?" Alex glanced up slightly from where she had her head in her hands, with elbows perched on the table. When her worn browns met exhausted emeralds she sighed. "You look like hell Alex."

"I've still got a splitting headache and even the migraine meds aren't helping anymore." She hated to rely on meds, especially prescription ones, but when all else failed it wasn't that bad of an option. Unfortunately, nothing could stop the pounding.

"Got any idea as to what caused Kara to do what she did?" Lena really wanted to know, as did the rest of them, why her wife had removed the ring that was protecting her when she needed it most to. She noticed how her sister in law was rubbing her temples in circles and decided to focus on that. "Hey Alex?"

"Huh?" Alex opened her eyes partially looking down at the result charts in front of her. Nothing was blurry to her but...they didn't make sense." She lifted her head, removing her hands from her temples and grabbed the top paper looking deeply at it. "This looks like ingredients to some whacked out chemistry experiment."

"Alex?" Something was off with her Director and immediately she reached for her phone from where it rested in her back pocket. "You know those components."

"I do?" She looked over and into a set of piercing green almost emerald eyes. That long raven hair and defining facial structure kept Alex staring. "What were we talking about?"

"Alex.." That was it and Lena sent a text off to the rest of the group to meet in their conference room. She glanced over and was suddenly grateful the woman's cell was dead from not being charged. "Alex?"

"What were we discussing.." Damn her head was killing her and she let the paper go to rub her temples again.

"Stay right here." Lena got up immediately and made her way to the door whistling for one of her agents she knew all too well. "Aaron?"

"Yes Boss?" She sighed shaking her head. "Sorry. Force of habit."

"It's fine. Can you stay with her for a few while I gather everyone up for a meeting?"

"You got it." He shared a smile with her then watched her leave in haste. He set his radio down after flicking it off and looked at the door making sure no one else was close by. "Got a headache Alex?" The woman groaned slightly nodding. Her head was down and she was completely oblivious to his quiet approach. He shifted to his natural form yet keeping the voice of their well known captain of the guard. "Gotta stop working so hard." His hand came over the back of her skull as two long needle like tips grew from one finger and his thumb. They slipped in deeply where he kept them there for at least a minute.

He retracted them smiling, only to step back and set a new bottle of water down by her arm returning to the human form. "You need to stay more hydrated. You're working far too hard." Remzi told her flicking his radio back on. A voice came over it and he stepped forward this time making enough noise that Alex heard him. "They need you in the conference room." Aaron informed her.

"Oh shit. Thank's Remzi." Alex chuckled rubbing her forehead as she snatched up the bottle to take it with her. "Can you do me a favor and bring a case in here and slip it under my table?"

"No prob Director." He gave her a thumbs up and she patted him on the arm walking out and towards the meeting center. He followed after her a little slower to pass a few agents on guard down the hall. Time to check in on things in their crucial little round table call..

The Co Director and Captain grumbled as they walked into the conference room, noticing who else had been gathered up. Maggie stopped for a second to glance into her wife's eyes as they shared a look of uncertain worry.

"Everyone take a seat alright?" Lena told them all as Alex was the last to join them. She hoped her hunch wasn't right. "I called you in here because.."

"Has something happened to Supergirl?" Ruby must have caught on to Lena's plan from her aunt's obvious heart rhythm of unbridled nervousness. When emeralds flickered to the side and Skye noticed the direction followed she knew just what to do. "I hope she's doing better.." She walked slowly around the table until she was practically right across from her other mom with the length of the massive slab between them. "After all... _ **Zhehiod**_ of _**Kryptahn**_.."

They all heard the sudden movement with the skid of the chair back, the charge of the blaster humming and the heavy breaths of one single person. Gasps filled the room as they all stared at Alex who held her gun up aimed directly at Ruby.

"Alex!" A few of them yelled but not one ounce of her body language relaxed, instead she tensed more.

"Alex! _That is OUR_ _ **INAH**_!" Sam yelled and moved quickly dashing over to stand in front of their daughter protectively. "Alex...Alex... _ **Khuhtiv Dhoia**_. Please lower that love." She wasn't sure what had happened to her wife, but she wouldn't let Alex shoot their daughter either. "Alex. Alex... _**Khap Zhao Rrip.**_ You hear me? I love you." She noticed the trembles along Alex's body especially the arm that was up and the hand holding the alien gun. "Alex. Alex, _**Khap Zhao Rrip.**_ "

"ALEX!" The conference door had been blown up practically as a familiar blonde stood in the doorway in a set of sweatpants and tank, breathing heavily. "Alex. Alex it's me." Kara slowly approached her sister and when she did the gun aimed at Ruby and Sam was now on her. "Alex. _**Khuhtov Aoe.**_ " Her warm caring cerulean blues locked on trembling browns that slowly warmed as well. When the arm finally lowered a hard clang to the floor revealed a now empty hand. "Alex."

"K...Kara.." Her entire body shook harder and she stumbled forward towards her sister with tears running down her face. "Kar...I..I'm sorry.." The moment she was close enough she felt strong yet gentle arms envelop her in the hug she so desperately needed at that moment. Wrapped in her sister's embrace she just let the raked sobs release until she felt like she'd collapse. Kara kept her upright only to finally lift her up and carry her out of the room. Alex wrapped her arms around the back of her head to bury her face in the blonde's shoulder.

"I've got you sis. I've got you _**Khuhtov Shed.**_ You're _my_ person Lexy. I've got you." Kara couldn't lay down and show weakness anymore. When above all else, she needed to be that strength for her sister now. Sure, she'd used her reserved power to blast the door to high hell but...for Alex it was worth it. Even without the rest of it, she would not drop who she held and carried gently. Whatever it took..no matter the price...Kara would keep them together. For they really were _**El Mayarah..**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Tides of March's Shore (March - Day 7 of Demand)**

By her side, no matter what chaos or call to action, Kara remained. She would not falter from her position. Upon the request to her wife, she'd had sun lamps mounted to the corners of the ceilings where she could still get as much absorption as she needed. Rarely did she leave where she sat unless it was to use the facilities, quickly shower, or get more than enough to sustain her appetite. Even that though had lessened. Her concern for her sister's condition couldn't leave her mind. She knew it wasn't her fault, but Kara took this blame so deep into her soul it had been tearing her apart.

Once again, the kryptonian ran her thumb over the Brave One's knuckles. Her cerulean orbs so drowned by fear, watched for any change. Alex looked so frail even with that damn oxygen mask over her face. Whatever it took though, Kara would accept. She knew that the days were passing far too quickly with the ultimatum they'd be faced with right around the corner. Never had any of them thought this scenario could come their way. Evil didn't even begin to describe what Non truly was.

"I will not have you taken from me Alex. I will not let him do that. I know I've always been against that way of violence sis, but...but if this must be done I will step forward and take it on. I'm so scared Lexy.." Kara put her head down laying it on her sister's stomach. "Please come back to me. I can't do this without you."

The handful of times that Alex had woken, confusion filled those brown eyes. It was as if her memories, their moments over the years together were being erased from her mind. Kara had experienced that first hand, when Non attempted to wipe all of her sister from her thoughts. No. _Enough was enough_.

Tears were welling up and she was so sick of them that it made her angry with how often they had presented themselves with an unwelcome force. Kara shut her eyes and reached within to do something she'd never done before. She lifted her head opening them to sit up as she looked at Alex's face. No expression crossed her features, no warmth resided in her gaze. " _ **Cheh Dhehraoghehd Khuhp Tul Gampil.**_ " The coldness she had never displayed, even in times of isolation, had now fueled a raging blaze that she let burn away even the deepest and strongest connections to others.

For the first time since she'd carried Alex out or needed to attend to something for her body, Kara's hand left her sister's. She placed it back on her stomach and made a motion with her hand as a promise sign they'd made as kids. Kara stood, turned away and left the room without even looking back. The moment she had stepped out heads came up and eyes pleaded to her for hope, but that wasn't what they saw.

"Aunt Kara?" Ruby asked, wishing for some news on her other mom. But the blonde merely kept walking as she passed those both sitting and standing. "Aunt Kara?" She pushed more volume to her voice and this time the silent one stopped. One brief turn of the head showed eyes closed and Skye knew what that meant. " _Kara...Zor-El.._ " Ruby whispered so quietly that not even the most enhanced kryptonian could hear. Yet somehow...Kara did.

" _ **Throniv Alektrah.**_ " Those two little words held so much strength even as icy as they'd come from her voice. No one had ever heard Kara sound like that. When her head turned forward again and she continued to walk away, they all knew something had shifted. Ruby heard her mother dash into the Director's room no doubt to check on her. She too made her way in, along with other members of their family.

"Alex... _ **Khap Vrreiahv.**_ " Ruby said softly yet firmly.

"That is... _promise_ right Rubes?" Lena asked and judging by the looks from Sam, Maggie, Lucy and Nia they must have known too. "Skye nodded to confirm what was said. "What promise?"

"To...protect her." Ruby swallowed down the bile that rose up from her stomach.

"I've never heard Little Danvers...talk like that." Maggie mentioned.

"That tone…" Lucy shuttered at the very thought of it as it played back in her head. "Why that tone Ruby."

"She's shut off everything." Sam stated holding her wife's hand and gasped when she saw warm chocolate rivers swimming with love. "Alex.."

"Thank Rao." Lena _did_ in fact, thank him for releasing her and bringing her back to them. But when Alex went to remove the mask and she saw how bad her sister in law's hand was shaking she knew something was wrong.

"Get...it off." Alex grumbled pointing to the mask to lay her head back and look up at the ceiling pointing again at what was driving her nuts. She heard the chuckle from the captain and felt the mask removed. "Thank you." She turned to look at those around the room gazing at Ruby. "Where is Rose."

"With Brainy, Susan and Amelia. Don't worry babe. She's in the underground vault that not even Non can get into if he tried." Sam told her. "How do you feel? _Alex_ …" She sighed shaking her head at her wife that sat up a little quicker than she expected. "Won't you take it easy."

" _ **Ta-Nahn Zhed.**_ " Alex let the words fluently leave her lips. Sam was surprised at the abrupt tone in her love's voice when asking where her sister was.

" _ **Zhed Bezhgam...Khap Bem Throniv..**_ " Ruby tried to explain but was cut off almost immediately. "She wanted...I need to protect you."

"No. You don't understand. She's going to kill him." Alex said, pushing herself up the rest of the way to rip off the cuff, remove her IV and unhook herself completely from the monitors. The moment the sounds begun, Lena made it over to shut them off.

"Couldn't wait huh?" She stared into her sister's eyes but what she saw scared the hell out of her. "Alex.."

" _ **Zhed..**_ she's gonna... _ **Chai**_.."

"Kara is no _**Chaiahm**_ Alex." Maggie tried to explain. From what she'd gathered of the little kryptonese she knew, she was sure that _**Chai**_ meant kill. So she figured what she added to it was correct. It must have been right because both Sam and Ruby looked her direction. "What?"

"What happened Alex?" Lucy asked, curious if Danvers knew anything that they didn't. She hoped anyway. "Did she tell you anything?"

"Dammit where are my boots.." Luckily Ruby was quick to push the impatient Director back onto the bed. "Let me go Ruby."

"No. What happened Phoenix." Skye repeated Lucy's words, this time with the use of her warrior name.

"My head felt...as if it was underwater. I was trying to reach for Kar but the more I tried, the harder I fought and the weaker I got. I tried and tried and finally I just didn't have the strength to fight. The moment I just...the moment I stilled and fell down further as if sinking into this coldness, it...it warmed. I felt warm and safe. I felt free. I looked back up again and saw those blues looking at me like...like she'd caused it. I heard laughing and kryptonese. I was being mocked and told I was weak in that language."

"You got angry." Ruby listened to each and every word her other mom said. "You began to hate the voice." Alex nodded.

"At first it was multiple voices but then...it was just one. I heard..I heard ' _We have never been sisters...we DON'T share blood'.._ " It made her tremble from that memory of those words from Kara, when she was under that venomous substance. "With...without her...I have no life." Alex hadn't even realized what she was releasing until she went up to touch her face and felt the moisture from tears.

"She'd never say that to you Alex." Lena said but one shake of her head spoke volumes to what she hadn't known. Yet still she tried not to believe it. "She wouldn't ever.."

"She did. When she was exposed to red kryptonite, she did. It was the first time she'd made me cry from cruel words she had said to me." Alex needed them all to understand where she was coming from and furthermore what she was attempting to make them see. "It was as if we were being split apart at that moment. I woke up and felt that split again. I felt when she separated herself from everything and everyone including...including me."

"She's going to kill him." It terrified her, but Maggie's choice of words had her needing to know. " _ **Chaiahm..**_ it doesn't just mean killer does it?" Her ex shook her head and she gasped in disbelief. "It means...means _murderer_."

"Kara isn't capable of that Maggie." Lena shut off what she was hearing. She turned and stormed out of the room.

"Ruby, _**Throniv**_ her. Protect them both." Alex told her daughter whom nodded to rush out. She glanced up to meet Sam's shaking hazels. "Get me up babe."

"Nothing changes with you Danvers." Maggie just shook her head again rolling her eyes. She knew it wasn't time for humor or sarcasm. No. Right now it was more of keep their shit together so they didn't lose it..

* * *

"Everything is set for us to take the first sector General." Non smiled as he walked over to the observation deck slipping his arms behind his back crossing his wrists.

"Not yet." He couldn't believe what he was hearing but before he could react a blast hit the command center. " _What was_.."

The smoke cleared, his men coughed but before any of them could draw their weapons they were knocked out cold. A figure in all black, baring the House of El insignia stepped forward, walking passed the heap of soldiers. As one groaned, he was kicked hard in the head sending his body across the deck. "Well well."

"You and I will have less words than you think." The figure in black armor spoke and this time Non knew that his niece was behind this shield of metal.

"A new suit I see."

"No." The helmet came off revealing exactly who was under it, which came to no surprise for him but then he noticed the streaks of red from the veins of her face. "This is a suit I hid from everyone. I saved this for monsters like you Uncle." Kara spoke and every single thing spilled from her lips was laced with a darkness she had no problem embracing. "You wanted _**Threhk**_ for this? Well, then blood it shall be. _**Ni Threhk**_ Uncle."

"Ha ha ha! Ohhh dear Niece you amuse.." He didn't even see her move, but one moment he was standing tall and the next his body had slammed into a pillar of the control deck. When he dropped and attempted to right himself, a vicious strike came down over his back and with it bowed his spine. When he fell this time, face down, it took him longer to get up. " _You will pay_.."

She didn't let him have another word. Kara struck his back again and instead used the sole of her foot to do so. When he groaned, she reached down grabbing him by the back of his head and kicked him in the face as hard as she could. He didn't move... _much_. Kara removed every bit of her armor and dropped it to the floor to walk back over to him.

"I'm done playing your games Uncle." She brought her leg up only to swing it down driving her heel as hard as she could into his lower back. Popping her knuckles, she heard something crack. Kara put that same foot on his back towards the shoulders, to keep his body down. She took a deep breath, then growled out a howl and unleashed her heat vision straight at his lower spine. She forced more and more of that burn until he was screaming under her foot. Kara wouldn't give him the decency or opportunity to get up and pummel her back, shutting off her heat vision so she wouldn't deplete her cells.

She adjusted the cuff-like bracelets on her wrists, both made from the gems of a synthetic red kryptonite. He wanted ruthless? _Well_...he got his wish. "Blood by blood they say don't they Non?" Kara kicked the General in the face again until it slapped his frame with his back to the floor now. She brought her foot up and drove it down into his stomach so hard blood shot up his throat and out of his mouth. "Did that hurt? Good."

"Gener…" Kara heard the groan from one of her uncle's lackies and walked over to him. "Gen..AHHHHH!" She unleashed her heat vision on his hand to burn away at the top of it while pushing her foot down on his elbow that had been at the wrong angle. She heard the loud crack and knew she'd broken it. It didn't matter to her and she increased the power of her heat vision until his fingers had been practically nothing but weak visible bones.

"I _hate_ when I'm interrupted." Kara smirked, but that expression quickly faded to nothing but an emotionless mask. "Where were we.."

" _Niece_.." He choked out the words, felt another slam down on his body and knew this one had cracked his ribs.

"I understand now, what you always wanted all us kryptonians to feel. You wanted us..to feel .. _nothing_. You got what you wanted. I feel nothing now. I feel no regret for coming up here and giving you the vengeance of mine you so _greatly_ deserve. Your futile attempt to strip me from her mind has failed. _YOU_...have failed." She grabbed the pathetic filth by one of his feet, proceeding to drag him with her as she walked down the ramp towards the cargo deck. "I think it is only fitting I give you a taste of your own medicine Non."

Kara let go of his foot as it dropped and she removed the bracelets from her wrists slipping them into the satchel looped on her belt. She replaced them with four different thick glowing ones. "You've never understood humanity. I think you should for once. You see...I know that you haven't taken what can make you resistant to this. So…" Kara slapped familiar green stoned cuffs around his wrists and ankles as they tightened on their own, locked permanently by kryptonian runes pressing into his skin. "Let's see if a raven can fly without any wings."

So many had called her inhuman, filth, a monster, an animal. They told her over and over, that she wasn't human and never would be. It was about time she didn't fear or deny that anymore. "Farewell Uncle." Kara opened the flap just enough and kicked the General so hard it sent him sliding off where he was dropped out of the ship. She watched him fall, kicked the flap so hard it snapped in two, then flew out to make her way to the tail of the aircraft. She got a good grip, took a hold of it, then prepared herself for the force necessary to do exactly what she intended. "Farewell kryptonian devils."

Kara flew up as far as she could, carrying it with her, then spun the ship around a few times only to let it go as it launch back up into the atmosphere where it had originally come from. Without a shed of pity she released her heat vision to push it further into space. Once she knew that the planet was safe again, she took a deep breath and pressed on the remote in her hand detonating the suit in the captain's deck of the ship. There would be no trace of the armor nor the symbol over the chest of it. No one would ever know it was her that had taken them out.

"Good riddens." Kara slowly let herself float down to where she could see the city clearer. She would not let anyone's eyes fall upon the suit she wore at the moment, no longer covered with the darker armor she'd kept from everyone. Now in the black suit, she'd bore when Lord's chemical had taken over her, Kara welcomed the darkness she had for so long denied. Now she let it sink into her body until it claimed her very soul. " _ **Rrip Nahn Voi Alektrah.**_ " She spoke those words into the wind, letting it carry back to Alex and assure her it was over.

Kara waited in the clouds until sunset when the city was covered over by the night's sky. When things had died down amongst them all, she flew over to the crisp shore, tearing the ropes to the satchel on the side of her hip and threw the bag into the ocean. Kara made her way back to her old apartment that Lena had let her keep for emergencies. She needed out of the monstrous covering and into something cleansing. Though even when she entered, she stripped and bathed, afterward she still felt nothing inside her. There was no remorse. There was no anger. There was no pain. There wasn't anything..

* * *

They had decided it might be best to go to Lena's penthouse since all signs had pointed to the retreat of the ship that was hovering up above the clouds. That was until the circumstances brought them back to the base. It had been ten hours and yet none of them had heard from the kryptonian. Out of chance, Susan and Lucy had found one of their best agents bound and gagged in their more high-tech high security lower chambers of the AOD. Luckily, Aaron was alive but sustained injuries that had required surgery.

It had been Sam to scope out who was responsible and with a slight bit of protest, the shape shifting alien had been thrown in a cell a few cages down from their original pest. Artemis had her own business with the monster that had shot both her wife and sister with the sinister psychic blow. Unfortunately those matters had to wait. With Supergirl still absent, everything regarding the two prisoners was at a stand still.

"I don't want _ANY_ movement from _either_ of them. Not one restraint, gag, or mask removed. _GOT IT_?!" Sam allowed her eyes to glow red which had the two teams of ten quivering in their boots. When she looked to each of them every nod confirmed they'd listened. "Good." Lucy blew out a slight whistle when Sam walked out and slammed the door behind her.

"We don't need any of our agents pissing themselves Artemis." The Co Director muttered, with them both heading to the elevator to leave the cell block. Sam chuckled when her orbs quit glowing, bringing Lucy's heart rate back to normal. They waited for the ding of their floor, with the door sliding open. "Danvers woke up again." The kryptonian stopped abruptly hearing those words from the woman's lips. She turned and carefully met Lucy's gaze. "She's...there are still some.."

"She's still having the nightmares." Sam chose that response to lessen the pain from the whole situation. "Are they getting worse?"

"Luckily no. But they've become more frequent Sam." They returned to walking, but Lucy knew exactly what was going through her mind. "She will get better hun."

"What if this is permanent Luce." Sam was trying not to think about it but she couldn't help it. This was her wife that they were talking about after all.

"You can't believe that. The moment you do it won't ever end for those thoughts of yours." Lucy stopped, grabbing Sam by the arm so she was facing her. She brought a hand up to Artemis' chest and pushed a finger over where her heart was. "Trust this." Both of them nodded smiling.

"Sorry to interrupt this Hallmark moment folks but... _she's_ here." Maggie announced and with it both women felt shivers run down their spines. Sam was about to ask but it was Lucy to talk first.

"What's her status." Artemis glanced from one wife to the other, looking for any hidden change to their faces. But when she saw the Captain's grim expression, Sam felt as if the very air had been sucked from her kryptonian lungs. "Maggie.."

"Let's get going." Sawyer awaited them to follow her and once both women were at her sides she put her head back up some to focus on what was to come.

"Mind if I join you?" They glanced to the left only to see Danvers in her black agent suit that Winn had once made and Lena had modified. Alex strode along with them knowing that their gazes kept darting back to her. Sam knew better than to try to argue with her wife.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" Lucy had no problem with pushing the terms.

"Some people are better at keeping things than others." Alex told her Co Director.

"Who'd you threaten this time Danvers." Maggie was rather curious because only her ex would bring someone shivering from fear like Alex could. Though, Sam was good at it too.

"Brainy isn't as tight lipped as people think." Her wife sighed shaking her head.

" _Guys! Why don't you shut up and just go to the training wing already._ " The Captain's radio let loose the impatience from Ruby's voice.

"This is why we couldn't go to Lena's place. Too much shit happening here." Lucy groaned while they continued to make their way down the halls until they saw their agents shaking worse than even Sam or Alex could ever cause. "What the…"

"Not good." Maggie drew her weapon to slide in front of Alex. Sam got into a more defensive stance while Lucy drew her own weapon.

"Give me a gun." Alex growled expecting her ex to do as she said. No weapon ever came. "You know what.." They didn't expect the Director to push her way through them only to storm in and see why people were armed and ready to fire. "Kara?"

"Don't Phoenix." Ruby told her a little more cold than she meant to. But Alex had ignored the warning, backed up real quick and snatched up the spare gun from Lucy's hip making the woman gasp.

"Alex _don't_!" The three of them yelled with the Director ignoring their words. She charged up the blaster, brought it up and kept it aimed on the blonde in a set of black jeans and the darkest of red shirts.

"Alex.." Lena tried to get her sister in law to back down and it wasn't her wife, on her cold as ice speech, but Alex that was walking forward with the weapon locked and humming, prepared at any moment to release that blast. "Alex.."

"Get the hell away from them... _NOW_ " Alex yelled at the person with a set of glowing blue eyes, that were the darkest of shades warranting danger. " _Stand down_ or I'll have to dispense justice on _you.._ "

Sam felt her heart stop for a moment gasping, losing her balance slightly using both Lucy and Maggie to keep her upright. They both noticed the change in her immediately.

" _You won't_." Kara started towards her, tilting her head slightly to listen to this woman's heartbeat. What her hearing picked up caused her to halt her approach. A slight recognition hit her like a ton of bricks. "Alex.." When the hand holding the gun didn't falter, Kara stepped back with fear rising up in her putting her hands up in front of her in a sign of surrender. "Alex.."

"I don't care if you know my name. _Stand...down._ Last warning." Something flickered between their gazes, forcing Alex to realize whom she had the gun on. "Oh god.." For the second time, she dropped the weapon she had trained on her little sister. "Kara.."

"Alex." Kara moved quickly and rushed over to catch her big sister before her head could hit the hard surface beneath them. The whimper came almost immediately and she swept her up cradling her close. "I've got you." Kara began to stroke the back of her head softly holding her up with one arm. She nodded to Ruby as her niece came over to snatch up the hideous black suit she had put back on at her place, before coming over to the AOD. The young kryptonian looked down with distaste to take it away. "Rubes." Skye looked back. "Burn that."

"I can do that." Ruby told her to walk off. Kara returned her focus to her sister. "You're safe Alex. _**Rrip Nahn Voi Alektrah**_." She'd keep telling Alex that until she believed it herself. " _ **Voi**_ Alex. You're safe." She knew, just by holding whom she would always call _her person_ , that what had infected her by her own doing was leaving the rest of her veins. She had rid herself of the bracelets she had made when she'd created the black armor. Now both were gone and she had waited hours until returning to her family. Obviously, it hadn't been long enough and the words spoken between agents and the others had struck that darkness deep within her again.

Something had told her, when her niece had gotten on the com, that she was calling for reinforcements. That very same something had made Kara hostile and before she could stop it, her own mind was registering them as enemies. She felt absolutely sick to her stomach thinking about what had run through her head. It had made her _almost...hurt_ family. " _ **Khapn Tul Throniv Rrip Alektrah.**_ I will protect you. _**Khap Shovuh Rrip**_ Alex. You hear me? I love you sis."

"You okay Little Danvers?" Maggie asked after holstering her gun which Lucy did the same. Kara gave her a look of apology while running fingers through the short strands of her sister's hair. "It's okay."

"I've got you sis." Kara shook her head knowing Alex couldn't see that action. "Can you do me a favor and let the teams out and about know the coast is clear?" Lucy nodded. "How is Aaron doing?"

"He's out of surgery and doing better. He wants like seven different flavors of jello." Lena sighed shaking her head after walking over. Both her and her wife shared a softer look and a gentle smile. "Why don't you take her back to our home. I will get things wrapped up here and Sam and I will join you with our Little One." Kara nodded to walk out of the training room with her sister.

"Ruby.." Lena knew her niece heard her as they all got their balance before she rushed in. "Can you follow them to my place?"

"I can do that. That...that fucking suit I've incinerated. There is _nothing_ left of it." Skye's voice filled with a slight anger. She hadn't even realized her eyes had been glowing. "What?"

"Rubes." Sam pointed up as her daughter's orbs calmed. "We will see you there."

"Hmm.." Lucy watched her niece leave keeping her eyes on the doorway. "Their bond broke that hold on them."

"I didn't know that she knew how to make the synthetic kryptonite." Lena wasn't happy with that but it was a discussion for a different day. Sam glanced at Kieran rather curious as to where this was going.

"Dare I ask?" Maggie wanted to know now as she walked alongside her wife with Lena on her other side and Sam beside her.

"Maxwell Lord made a substance known as red k and.."

"Kara was exposed to it." Lucy chimed in. "It was after Astra died." The three of them saw Sam quit walking. The Co Director was kicking herself. "Sam I.."

"Please tell us Lucy." Sam continued along with them.

"Are you sure Sam?" She wasn't going to delve any further into this conversation if it would upset the deceased kryptonian's daughter.

"What do you know." Lena was curious herself. She wasn't alone by the look on Maggie's face.

"You know that Alex used a kryptonite sword right?" The Co Director asked. The three of them nodded. "J'onn was on his knees. Astra had said she would give him a warrior's death an honorable death. Alex saved him. She stabbed her in the back and through the chest with a kryptonite sword." Lucy shared, taking a moment to gather the proper words so as to not upset anyone, especially Astra's flesh and blood. "When Kara arrived Alex had told her that Astra didn't have much time. They got to say their goodbyes for the most part. J'onn took the blame before Alex could tell Kara the truth. Eventually Danvers' own guilt tore her apart and when Kara was so mad at him, she confessed."

"Did she forgive Alex?" Lena wondered if her wife ever had.

"Alex was afraid of losing her sister and even though she had told her that, Kara forgave her and held her as she cried in front of J'onn. Before Kara had learned the truth, Non showed up at their place and Alex had been prepared to do whatever it took to protect her sister. Non came to take Kara away so they could.."

"The Prayer of the Dead." Magge now understood what it all meant. "He asked her to do that because it's custom for a surviving female to lead the prayer."

"So, they pushed aside their battle to give Astra that final journey. But after Alex confessed, a few weeks later Kara had been exposed to Maxwell's red k. It turned her cold and..it made her practically evil." Lucy told them. The four of them stopped at the balcony that oversaw the command center, leaning on the railing. "It made Kara say things to Alex she'd never say. You see, that caused every bad thought to come to the surface. It wasn't that it made you say those things. It forced all your darkest, worst, cruel thoughts to spill out in the most ruthless of ways. One of the things Kara said….still haunts Alex to this day."

"What was that?" Sam now had to know above all else. Lucy turned her head and looked directly into Artemis' eyes. "What is it.."

"That's...it's not good Sam." The Co Director had to look away but knew Sam hadn't done the same. "It's not something you need to.."

"Tell me." Sam pushed. Now Maggie and Lena needed to know just as badly.

"She...dammit she is gonna kill me for this." Lucy was screwed either way. She put her head down shutting her eyes and let them know. "She told Alex…' _Deep down, you hate me...and that's why...you killed my Aunt.'_. When Alex told me, she sobbed in my arms from that whole ordeal and then...then sobbed when she explained to me how she'd almost ended Kara's life with that same sword..it was like she'd been destroyed all over again. When the Myriad thing happened, there was a person known as Indigo who...well let's just say it wasn't good."

Lucy opened her eyes but didn't meet any of their gazes. "Alex fell under that mind control. Non provided her with a horrid kryptonite powered suit. He made sure that she had the sword that killed Astra. She still remembers the look in Kara's eyes...as if it was a nightmare. But something told Danvers that it wasn't that. It was a memory of what happened when Non's little demon used her twisted power over her thoughts."

She knew, even without seeing, that she wasn't the only one crying. Lucy forced the rest out. "Kara tried to stop it. She told Non, knowing when she spoke to Alex he would hear, that she wouldn't fight her sister. That bastard told her to kill her sister or let Danvers kill her. He made Alex tell her that using the sword on her would be justice. Kara pleaded for her sister to wake up, tried to reason with Non but...he wanted her to suffer."

"How did Alex get free? I mean, you say she didn't hear Kara at all. How did…"

"Their mom, Eliza. J'onn used the last of his reserves to protect her mind so she could try to reach Alex before she brought that monstrosity down to kill Kara. If it wasn't for her.." Lucy put her head down again shutting her eyes tighter, uncaring at how many tears fell. "Alex remembered...she remembered holding that blade over her sister after hurting her so bad Kara couldn't get up. So just as...Kara's words destroyed a part of Alex...that memory of almost killing her left her in a depression she'd always hid from everyone."

"Oh my god.." Lena felt like her legs were gonna give out on her.

"I couldn't imagine them that split up. I mean...people would say the Danvers sisters were a package deal. I...was that why Alex drank the way she did? I know that she was drinking pretty heavily for a while. She told me about that when her and I got buzzed together the first time. She explained how her and her sister had gone through this massive fall out and it had been so bad she just fell apart." Sawyer shared. "I never knew why. I just assumed they had some sisterly fight."

"When I saw them together the first time, before I knew Kara was Supergirl and Alex was DEO, I saw that bond between siblings I once had with Lex. I craved that and was envious of it. I'm with Maggie. They would never be that way with one another. I just can't…"

"There is a denial you force on yourself Lena. I know that because I have been the same way for a hella long time. We can't just turn away from what we learn, no matter how difficult as it is to hear." Maggie wanted Lena to truly understand that even she wanted to shake her head and not believe things that hurt. She had been her own demise when it came to Alex. She pushed her own ideals and past to push her ex away. Did Maggie regret that everyday? She did for a while but she couldn't be more happy and loved than she was with Lucy. They fit together in a way her and Alex never did. They were all interrupted by their coms.

" _Hey you stubborn pains in my ass...Aaron is trying to walk around and I could use some back up_." They all looked at one another quirking up an eyebrow each to shake their heads at Amelia's gripe.

"On our way sweet cheeks." Maggie smirked as they started towards where they knew the trouble had brewed. They heard grumbling in their ears. "I owed ya for that little stunt last week.

" _Wanna play that way do ya buttercup?_ " Sawyer glared and Lucy just laughed. She wasn't the only one as they realized the whole AOD could hear their conversation. When they rounded the corner after hearing little chuckles from agents, the four of them saw Remzi complaining to Hamilton.

"Ya know that was live you jerk." Maggie let the doc know.

"Never let your wife and I pair up for a prank on you Captain." Amelia stated pointing to Aaron.

"I need to be out there with my team." He told her then looked up at who was in the doorway. "Please don't stop me ladies."

"Even if I deliver your jello flavors?" Lena bribed.

"Dammit. Okay I will wait for the clear from both of my docs." Remzi looked at Sam. "Maybe just one doc."

"Nice try. Want a low down on what's been going on?" He nodded and they all let him know just what had happened..

* * *

"Is she settled?" Nia asked when Kara came into the living room. The blonde stopped and looked back at the open door then at Dreamer. She nodded and sat down only to be handed a hot tea. "Figured you could use it."

"I'm guessing you know what um…" Kara was absolutely ashamed of everything that had transpired. She saw Nia lean over and take her hand squeezing it some.

"Sometimes, in our weakest of moments we find a strength we had missed of seeing."

"Sometimes I think _you_ are the _real_ hero Nia." Kara leaned back when their hands parted and she held onto her tea before taking a sip.

"It's...never mind you don't get burned. That isn't fair you know." She saw her friend chuckle taking another sip. "Talk to me."

"Tell you how I went all dark and deadly on my own people or how I almost attacked our family.." Kara set the cup down to lean back into the chair. She let her head rest against the wall to look up at the ceiling knowing she was crying again. She was so sick of that.

"Remember when you told me that, what I am deep inside and what I am even on the outside can't hurt me?"

"Yeah."

"That what I am is a hero. That it can't harm me. You are the one that showed me that embracing what I thought was my biggest fear was my inability to see the truth. I was no longer ashamed of what I am and who I am. I was no longer afraid that people wouldn't accept me because I'm transgender. I didn't feel so wrong anymore."

Kara brought her head back down and looked at her friend. "Because of you, I'm what you always believed I was from the very beginning. Not just as a hero, but as a reporter too. You didn't have to take on the responsibility of teaching me any of it. But you did. Because of you I made peace with a sister that had been mad at me and hated me, or so I thought. I mourned and you were there with me when I put that rose on my mother's grave. You held my hand as I let go, not only of my doubt but...of my fears."

"Nia.."

"That suit, even the one _you_ made me, made me feel even more like that hero. I owned my powers, I didn't deny them or fight them anymore. I understood them and even my culture. I felt complete and _that's because of you_. So I know you are hurting and you are blaming yourself. I know you feel like a monster.."

"Nia.." Kara was afraid that what was coming would sink her deeper into that darkness. But it didn't and it wasn't what came out of Dreamer's lips next.

"You aren't a monster Kara. You are someone that is hurting. You are someone that would do anything, no matter how hard it is, to protect the ones you love. You are someone that believes so deeply in others and especially in Alex. You were there to get through to her the first time and second time. You were there to catch her when she was falling. So you aren't what you think you are. You are a hero. You are who made me see that I'm one too."

Kara couldn't stop the tears that had begun pouring down quicker by the belief Nia had in her. This time, she didn't hate them. This time she embraced them. She had to tell her what she had done. "You have been who has made _us all_ heroes Kara."

"I need...I need to tell you something please.." She felt Nia take one of her hands again and this time squeeze it harder so Kara wouldn't let go this time. Their eyes met and locked on one another's. "I went to the fortress. I went to where no one knew I had it. I went into the hidden chamber. I got out these...these thick metal bracelets I'd made for myself. I had made them while wearing a suit I...I had made after Alex, Lena and I had went into _Juru_ , the Dark Valley.."

"What...what suit?" Their gazes broke and Kara looked away then down. "What suit?"

"We were in Juru...Lena hated Supergirl. She despised that part of me, was so angry with me. Reign was gonna kill her and I told her to take me instead of her. She told me I was nothing.." Kara still shuttered at the recollection. She met Nia's eyes again. "That I'd always been nothing..that only one of equal strength could.." Dreamer saw something she'd never seen when her friend had looked at her. Pure icy coldness in her orbs. Her hand barely shook but it was enough to trigger that darkness in Kara. "I had to be faster and stronger. I had to be what Reign was." The tears stopped coming from Kara's eyes.

She let go of Nia's hand and pushed up from the couch, unaware at whom was in the hallway leaning against the wall. "No one tries to kill those under my protection. I was _not_ what she called nothing. So I broke into the other vault of Lord's. I took the lead lined box. I went to the fortress and I created the bands. I had indeed made the black armored suit with the red symbol of the House of El. I did exactly the same design as the outfit I had worn under that synthetic substance as if it was the devil's eyes. I put them in another box with kryptonian runes. I then wore the armor completely and made four bands with regular kryptonite in them. I engraved those bands with the runes of the dark shadow not even Rao allowed."

Both women trembled and Kara knew it but in her eyes, there was no warmth still. "After _my_ _ **Alektrah**_ had been attacked like that by Non's animal... _he...HAD..TO...PAY_! So I flew up there and I took down his little army. I gave him _exactly_ what he deserved. He laughed at me and thought he could strike me down. His laughter was short lived. I unleashed years and years of pent up anger and frustration on the monster with as much violence as he'd always shown. I slapped the four cuffs on him locking them with the inscriptions of Krypton. I opened the hanger and kicked him off it so he could feel exactly like a human to fall like one to the ground below the way _Reign_ had done to me."

"That's enough Supergirl." Nia felt that side of Dreamer take over. When she spoke again it was with all of her strength that Kara had taught her. "That's... _enough_ Supergirl."

"N...Nia.." Kara felt her body weaken, staggering as her eyes rolled back into her skull.

"No no..Kara.." Nia caught her and brought her back to the chair setting her in it, bending down to look up at her friend's face. When Kara's eyes opened and theirs met, those cerulean orbs shook from fear. "You're okay. It's okay Kara."

"Did I hurt you?" Her entire body was trembling from shock but Nia still reached up to take one of her hands, like she'd done before. Dreamer shook her head. "What did I.."

"When did you start taking these." Nia slipped her other hand under the chair cushion grabbing what she had figured out was there. She pulled it out and showed it to Kara. Those terrified eyes shook her head. "When _**Zor-El.**_ _**Voiehd Nahn Udol.**_ When?"

"I...I don't know.." Nia's brown orbs flickered lighter until returning to their regular shade. Studying her friend's expression and the tears that slipped down once more, she knew Kara was telling the truth. "What's happening...to..me.."

"It's okay Kara." Her mentor fell forward sobbing as Nia held her rubbing her back softly. "It's gonna be okay." She looked up meeting another set of browns who had covered her mouth with her hand so as not to release any noise. Nia nodded to ensure Kara's sister that she had her. "I'm here Kara. You're gonna be okay.."

She didn't need to look with her cognitive powers to know her and Alex were thinking the same thing. Who had been the one responsible for what Dreamer had found and confronted Supergirl about. Whoever it was... _would feel their wrath_..

* * *

Lena suddenly regretted setting up a firing range in the east wing of the penthouse, in her vast home which most considered a mansion. Round after round was emptied with shell casings littering the triple coated mahogany wood floor. She thanked her contractor for making sure that each plank was sealed with a lining that nothing could scratch. However, with the way that Danvers was going that might actually be tested.

"That son of a bitch.." Alex loaded another clip then slipped the magazine into the cylinder of the glock. She brought it up, aimed at the new sheet that had slid over the wall, firing without an ounce of hesitation until the clip was empty. Alex reached down for another already packed one only to find her can empty. "What the fuck.."

"Thought I'd find you here. Hey Kieran." Sawyer announced her presence. "I see we are working out our inner demons on these poor fools." Maggie pointed to the target sheets. "What did those people ever do to you.."

"Piss me off." Alex threw the empty can, walked over to grab another one but when she turned Lena stepped in her way back to her happy spot. "I'd move if I were you."

"Go ahead and give me that signature glare all you want Director. I'm _your_ boss and immune to that look. I'm immune to Kara's pout too. Now Rose's…"

"We are all screwed with that kid. Fine." Alex handed her the firearm to walk over to where her water bottle was and towel. "Any word on the tox screen?"

"It's the alien equivalent of ' _bath-salts_ '." Lucy told them from the doorway. Their eyes widened at hearing that street drug name. "That pompous ass we boxed up that I told you about before. Remember that one?"

"Yeah." Alex slipped into her guarded mode while wiping her face then tossing the towel back on the chair. "Was he the one that dealt it?"

"No. He gave up some names though once...I registered round thirteen of kicking his ass. Told me there's a gal down in a not so nice neighborhood that's been making a pretty penny off the extraterrestrial population. Got an address for a bar. You in?" The Co Director studied the faces of the three women. "Tell me." None of them gave an answer. "Come on."

"I think it's about time we all had a chat." Alex responded while swiping her towel back up to walk out to the locker room that Lena had built for the range and gym. Maggie, Lena and Lucy followed her there then stopped as they watched her open her locker then toss her ex a box. Sawyer caught it and raised an eyebrow. Alex moved around a few things in her space while grabbing a spare tank and jeans. "I started having these really bad nightmares. I mean...I knew they'd come sooner or later from what that fuck did to me. I didn't want anyone, especially Kara, to know her sister that she looked up to so much was popping pain pills."

"What.." Maggie opened the box and gasped. Three different bottles were in it and Lena and Lucy grabbed two of them with her picking up the last one. Sawyer looked up at Alex. "Who prescribed.."

"I did." Alex turned away from them all to drop her spare clothes on the bench then strip down after pulling the curtain closed to start the shower, tossing the ones she'd been wearing out on the floor. "I used one of my holographic badges. Look, I know I broke a few laws there. I mean, I'd gone to a doctor outside the agency and after it was empty I filled it myself."

"Jesus." Lena couldn't wrap her head this. "When?"

"Two months ago. The original prescription was for two weeks. I went to two other doctors for the other ones. I stopped them when um...I was watching the news about opiates and how addictive and poisonous they were. I uh...those four days you let me have and then the two I had off after, I used to get clean. Sam had been training with one of Kara's friends at a temple in Beijing. I used that to do what I had to do."

"Alex." Maggie felt like she'd been hit by a freight train with no way to right herself. Her wife noticed and quickly picked up on, just how concerned Sawyer was. She wasn't sure if this was guilt her love felt or proof of how much Maggie still loved Alex.

"Take them. Check my locker, my bag, everything. That's it. Take them away." Alex said while still in the shower. They heard her sigh and the shakiness in her voice. "Please take them away.."

"That it? For sure?" Lucy would be cold if she had to and maybe it was the fact that her wife was invested in the ex for the moment.

"Yes." Alex spoke as firm as she could.

"Good." She ripped both bottles out of Maggie's and Lena's hands then stormed out to leave the three of them in the locker area.

"I need to check on Kara. Can you um...stay with her Maggie?"

"I can do that." Sawyer sat down on the bench next to Alex's clothes then bent down to pull the dirty ones off the floor throwing them on the other side of her on the bench.

"I'm gonna go see what's up my Co Director's ass." She watched Lena leave then turned to where the curtain was. Shaking her head, Maggie glanced to the open locker until she heard the curtain and spun around a little too quick. She couldn't stop her eyes from roaming down but then flung them back up the face of her ex.

"Alex.." The Director snatched up her towel to wrap it around her bare exposed body quickly to put her back to Sawyer. "I.."

"I thought you had all left." Alex couldn't stop her heart from racing. Her ex fiance just saw her butt naked. She put her hand up, that wasn't holding the towel around her, on the wall to put her head down. "I really had thought.."

"All good Ally." Maggie kicked herself for the nickname, that had been something personal between them. "I thought you heard Lena tell me to stay with you."

"I didn't hear that Mags. Fuck.." Alex put her head back shaking her head as she rolled her eyes. "Sorry Captain." She looked up to see the gorgeous latina walk over to her. "Maggie.."

"It's only that good when you say it Danvers." Maggie reached up to swipe wet strands behind Alex's ear. Both their foreheads met with shut eyes. "Alex..I'm sorry I…"

Both heard a door slam open, not realizing that Lena had shut it when she left. One royally pissed off kryptonian stood in the doorway with dark hazels locked on them. Sawyer stepped back and away from her ex. "Sam."

"Lucy asked me if I could accompany her to some drug dealer spot. She told me about what you had let them know about Alex." Sam approached, attempting to calm her temper refusing to look at the Captain. She reached up and gently took her wife's chin to lean in and kiss her softly. When she pulled back their eyes met and Sam dropped her hand away from Alex's face then kissed her forehead. "I love you." They kissed again shortly with Artemis looking at Sawyer. "Take care of her Maggie. I need to go handle this bitch."

"Sam I…" She felt suddenly so nervous but when Sam tugged her in for a hug she knew that the woman wasn't mad at her. "I'm sorry."

"I trust you Maggie. I know you still love her. I know she still loves you. I trust you both. Just uh…" Sam backed away and walked out waving. "...don't be banging in the bath okay!"

"Did she just say.."

"Your wife is kinky Danvers." Maggie smirked with Alex trying to throw a boot at her which she dodged laughing.

Sam smiled when she heard the chuckles and playful banter between the two. She walked over to where Lucy stood and looped her arm around the Co Director's to pull her toward where they were going.

"Thanks Sam." Lucy smiled.

"Anytime Luce." Sam meant it. She'd put all worries to bed before any other troubles could come their way. This little fiend wanted to mess with her family of Krypton? They had another thing coming. Hell hath no fury like a kryptonian's sister scorned..


	6. Chapter 6

**Two Sides of Luck (Shamrock's Eve)**

Nia knew it was coming and when she heard the sound from the bathroom, her instincts and suspicions were spot on. The faucet stopped, the toilet flushed and the heavy breaths had Nal's own breathing slightly off. Then she heard the cursing in kryptonese, the heavy smack to the tile floor and yet another violent storm of Kara puking. Nia had to get her into the bed or couch or something.

"Kara?" She spoke gently, so as to not frazzle her.

"Ugh...yeah?" The sickened groan made even Dreamer nauseous. "I'll be out in um, in a minute."

"Take your time." Nia wouldn't rush her friend. The fact it had been two weeks and Kara was still in the worst of it with all the symptoms of volatile withdrawals, wasn't a good sign. There was no proof of the powerful symbol of hope that National City believed in. That mighty kryptonian who wouldn't ever let anyone be harmed or worse if she could help it, was completely absent. Supergirl had disappeared.

Nia heard the door open but as it did Kara fell forward with her body shaking violently. Dreamer panicked and saw the froth release from her friend's lips, knowing that Zor-El needed help. _Now_.. Nia forced herself from the floor lifting Kara up to bring her in the living room to the couch setting her down carefully. "Stay with me." She grabbed her phone, realizing how badly her hands were shaking but forced that down so she could call Lena.

" _Hey Nia. What's up._ "

" _Lena...Kara...foam...bad._." She tried to get the words out coherently but when her friend's body spasmed and more froth spewed from her lips, Nia knew she didn't have time to stammer. "Lena. Get Alex...get _everyone...NOW_! Get someone here Lena. Kara's needs medical.."

" _Nia. It's Alex. Maggie and I are on our way. Sawyer! FASTER!_ "

" _Nia, I'm in the garage. I'll be up in a moment. I am gonna get Ruby there right now._ "

"Hurry." Nia heard a loud crash and on reflex grabbed a blanket to cover up Kara from the glass that flew their way. When Dreamer pulled it off of Zor-El, she saw whom had broke the window to get to them. "Ruby."

"I've got her. I'm going downstairs to Aunt Lena's med room okay?" Nia nodded watching Skye carefully lift up her aunt and dash out as quick as she could. Dreamer followed them in haste.

She knew that with Kara's immune system down, anything could make her gravely ill. When she had calmed from the state of mind that nearly turned her on them, she'd solar flared hours later while they were running tests on her. Ever since Kara had drained her cells, she had weakened her body so badly that if someone had told you that she was Supergirl you would think they were crazy. Now, for doing what she did and releasing her heat vision that way, Kara couldn't fight off any of what she'd become dependent on. It made Nia sick to her stomach just thinking about it.

To make matters even worse, her mentor hadn't been taking what her body had become addicted to that long at all. When they'd discovered from yet another interrogation, that the seller had given it to her the night of her first nightmares, their fears were realized. Every single thing had been planned by Non. From the call for help, to the attractive damsel, then the one drink and slip of pills, to the first night of lure…

"Is he for a fact dead?" Dreamer snarled when she came in and judging by the looks on everyone's faces they weren't prepared for her wrath. "Are we sure he is?"

"They haven't found his body." Alex was seething but more than that, trying to stay calm from the panic bubbling up in her. "We will keep looking Danvers."

"Good." The Director tried not to fiddle with her hands so she shoved them into her jean pockets.

"Dare I ask what you were doing riding Sawyer.." Both Alex and Maggie glared at Susan. " _Sawyer's_ bike with her. You both are horrid."

"Sam and Lucy were out on patrol with the teams, looking for leads."

"Um nothing." Artemis flew in and set the Co Director down before touching down as well. "The bitch just got another brief schooling by Samantha."

"Must you call me tha... _Kara?_ " Sam rushed passed them and saw her daughter and sister in law standing over whom was on the table slightly writhing but shaking. Her eyes landed on the blonde's face where the mask was tightly over her mouth. "Rao." The hard puffs against the mask and the spasms had Sam grabbing the table to avoid her knees from buckling. "What are the symptoms." She forced the doctor forward in her mind and her body, wanting to help in any way she could.

"She keeps having these rapid tremors. Froth and vomiting. When she's come to she complains of headaches. She's screamed conscious or unconscious. Her body breaks out in cold sweats. Her pupils are dilated. There's been a few nosebleeds." Lena explained as quickly as she could. But there was only so much she could do until her own sanity threatened to give way with how terrified she was for her wife.

"Kara…" Sam and Lena glanced over to see Alex come in with her hands over her mouth.

"Mom...get her out of here." She was reluctant but her daughter was right. Sam took her wife into her arms and slowly stepped forward forcing Alex to step back.

"Ruby?" Lena looked up at her niece. "We need to flush her system."

"Again? We've done that so much in the last two.."

"I know." Skye was right and they weren't sure if it would help anymore, but it was all they had for a plan. "We can't just.."

"What can I do." Sam wanted to know how she could help. "She's with Maggie and Lucy. We've got our new Captain Julee trying to run things from the AOD command center, with Vasquez on the radio just in case. Gotta hand it to Remzi, his wife is pretty cute." Lena and Ruby knew what Sam was trying to do but no ounce of deflecting would help them now.

"Mom...we need to get Aunt Kara to the fortress. We can purge her there." Lena gasped but when she looked at her aunt she shook her head. "We have to."

"Is there no other way?" Kieran didn't want them to use that resort if they could help it. But they were running out of options, with how often her wife had been brought to the med bay and through tests. "Rubes.."

"Take care of _**Rose Zor-El..Khuh Divi**_." Ruby told Lena, using the firm voice of Astra Skye. This was her showing her aunt _exactly_ whom she descended from.

" _ **Throniv Khuhtiv Zrhemin Skye-Ariea**_." She told her niece. Ruby nodded as she slipped her arms around the frail kryptonian with her mom attaching the tube to the portable tank, slipping it over her shoulders.

"We don't have time for suits tonight Rubes." Sam mentioned.

"To hell with them. Let's get her out of here."

"Alex?" Lena called out as heavy footsteps brought with them a few besides her Director. "Sam and Ruby took her to the fortress."

"Suit up." Alex told them then turned to Nia. "You too." They all knew that the quicker they got to the fortress, to the three kryptonians, the better. Something told them that this wasn't going to be as easy as it seemed…

* * *

The moment they touched down at the entrance of the fortress, both mother and daughter knew just how much worse Zor-El had gotten. Sam used her fingers to trace the symbols, place her hand against the etched shield and speak the native tongue of kryptonese. She traded places with her daughter when she handed Kara to her, to repeat their tradition as the cave door slid open.

"Kelex?" Sam called out with the AI robot flew over, obviously aware of their reason for coming there. "We need to get her on table." Artemis watched as the crystals slipped out from below, to form what she requested. "Her body.."

"Lady Kor-El! Why has...oh dear. Bring Lady Kor-El here. A pleasant day to you young Lady Kor.."

"Skip the formalities Kelex. My Aunt is in need of healing only our kind can give. Can you bring up anything indicating the rights of healing that can aid of a kryptonian that solar flares?"

"At once, young.."

"Skye is fine Kelex. Records please."

"Kelex, also pull up anything that can quicken cell regeneration from the yellow sun."

"Right away Lady.."

"Ugh. Artemis will do Kelex. Please...we need everything you have to help her."

Both watched the AI bring up their home's own journals of medicine and more adapt procedures. They knew by the spill of blood that Kara was far from out of the woods. Ruby approached when Kelex revealed the cabinet of tools and cringed by what she saw. She thought human medical instruments appeared cruel. These ones took the cake.

"How could they use any of these on us.." Skye wasn't the only one appalled by the sight of them.

"Ladies of Kor-El! I've retrieved the books!" They turned away to glance up at the screens. Sam walked over to slip one of her hands into her sister's as her daughter began to mouth the kryptonese no doubt decoding it. "Is this helpful?"

"It is." Ruby looked over at him. "Do you have anything similar to an oxygen tank or way of breathing for us?" Kelex was positively perplexed by what she was asking. Skye sighed. "Do you have a device that will allow intake of air for humans. Does that make more sense?"

"Indeed Young Miss." He rushed off only to return empty handed. "Give it a moment." Once again crystals rose and Ruby felt relief flood her veins. "Will that suffice?"

"It will." Sam didn't waste another moment, snatching it up to slip the mask over Kara's face. She adjusted the gauge so the air wasn't administered too fast, but when she saw the puffs against it, she was grateful that what Kelex provided was a regulation mask. Her concerns grew when she was the levels on display on the machine attached to the hose.

"What are her CO₂ levels Mom." Ruby knew it could be better with what they had at the fortress or far worse. Just as Sam was about to answer they heard loud footsteps and knew who had arrived.

"We're here. Kelex?" Phoenix was first to remove her helmet and set it down on one of the crystals they used for theirs. "What is it?" Alex didn't like the grim expression on her wife's face. "Sam, what is it?"

"They're too high." She spoke to those that had just arrived as well as her daughter.

"Shit." Ruby rushed over as quick as she could to look at the levels then at her aunt. "We need.."

"One step ahead of you." Kieran ran over with her kit, with Danvers with the duffel bag. "Turn her arm." Lena opened the kit, retrieved the syringe and saw her niece looking for a vein.

"Found one. Please _please_ let this work." She grabbed her other mom's hand when the Director had stepped up beside her. "Please... _Rao please.._ "

"Come on Little Danvers." Sawyer thought about what they'd discovered, the two drugs that Kara who she considered a little sister had taken. " _Ketamine. Bath Salts._ "

"A wicked combo. On top of what Non had been doing and the red k…" Dreamer reminded them as she walked over. She took a deep breath then released it. "She's going to be okay."

"How would you... _know_.." Alex remembered Nia's gift. "You sure?"

"I've got it." Lena ran over from Kara's room in the fortress, with a wooden box that she flung open to reveal the two white crystals. "Ground this one up Rubes." She handed one of them to her niece. Skye took it then stepped away, looking back at her aunt on the table. She attempted to crush it but found she couldn't.

" _ **Shisirghu!**_ " Ruby hated to curse but this had brought that deep frustration through her. Where her other mother had a mouth like the a sailor. She contemplated how to ground up what was in her hand. If she didn't have the strength to..

Skye shut her eyes and delved deep within herself, reaching for what she knew she had. When she heard the shallow breaths and pounding hearts of her family, she let go and gave her body over to the darkness. " _ **Chad Khap Iovis Raogrhys**_ **..** " She didn't fear the consequence of her actions. Kara Zor-El needed her to be that force to save her. Ruby whispered it so softly and quietly, like she'd done before, to whisper the words in the first language she knew. " _Give me that power.._ "

Her eyes opened with her orbs glowing the darkest of reds and even with how often she'd used what everyone else wouldn't, it did not scare her. Instead, it _fueled_ her with that fire she'd grown to enjoy. Ruby held up the crystal and walked back over to those around her aunt. "Move." Their eyes met the one radiating an aura that all of them felt and shivered by. She hated to repeat herself but if that's what it took, that's what she'd do. " _ **Rrosh**_ **.** " This time they did as they backed away.

"Ruby." Sam felt every ounce of the power her daughter was wielding. But when Skye held the crystal over Zor-El's head, ripping away the mask and tossing it aside, she crushed what was in her grasp with the particles raining down over Kara's face. "What are you do.."

" _ **Zor-El, Khahsh Fis Khuhtiv Raogrhys. Pil Fis Kah Kyn Im Rao.**_ "

"Did she just say...what I _think_ she did?" Alex said amongst her family. Was her niece brandishing what she thought she was?

" _Gift of Rao._ " Lena spoke, as if in some trance. A few of them looked at her and noticed an almost glassed over set of emerald orbs. She suddenly felt her sister in law's hand grabbing hers to squeeze it and pull her back from whatever had a hold of her. Lena gasped glancing beside her with their eyes briefly meeting.

"She said..breathe in her power." Danvers explained. "Take in...our _gift_ of _Rao._ " Alex looked at her niece whom nodded in confirmation. "Please save her Rubes."

Skye released the darkness from her eyes glancing down when she saw the color return to her aunt's face. It wasn't just her face, it was all of her. This was the first time in two weeks that she looked healthy. Then those warm ceruleans appeared and met Ruby's hazel ones.

"Ruby." Kara said then smiled at her with the smile returned back. She lifted her arm to bring her hand up and touch the side of Skye's face. " _ **Nahkluv.**_ "

"You're welcome Auntie." Ruby stepped to the side so her aunt could see everyone that was there with them. They all rushed in as she stepped back to let her family embrace Zor-El with happiness and tears of joy of relief. She hadn't even noticed Kelex beside her.

"You are most wise Lady Ruby Kor-El." Ruby smirked at that, while content with all of what was before her. This holiday had indeed been a strike of luck..

* * *

The seventh pathetic body dropped to the floor with two more falling backward, as another was kicked across the room to smash against the wall and drop in a heap over one of the first trained. Bodies practically covered all of the cement beneath her black boots. She kicked two bodies out of her way, swinging her arms as she popped her shoulders and back finally to crack her neck. She snapped her fingers with four of her mutts walking in.

"I want them thrown out to the barricades so they can be worked harder until their training pays off. You bring me these weaklings that think they can best me. _**Kigrhys Nahn**_ _failure._ "

"As you wish Lady Zor.." He didn't even see her come at him until he choked on his own blood gasping and seizing with her hand in his chest crushing his lungs.

"Let that be a lesson. _No one_ is permitted to use my name." She threw him from her, still holding his lungs in her hand. She brought the hand holding them up to her face slipping her lips up into a grin then clenching tighter until only blood dripped from her fingers. Her shadowed ceruleans registered nothing but frigid darkness. Bringing both hands together she wiped the crimson remains from them. "Such a mess. Get this cleaned up."

"Must you do that? How many of our soldiers must you break?" He sighed as she just broke out in laughter, far too amused with her carnage.

"As many as it takes for them to learn their lessons. _**Gampil**_ me ones of _**Raogrhys**_. These are not strong. These are pathetic. These humans have nothing that they can offer to my cause." She walked past those that had survived her lessons, up to the peak where she could look out for miles of snow capped wilderness. She shut her eyes and listened carefully for one particular heartbeat and when she found it she smiled to open her shadows of blue again. "There you are, _**Kara Zor-El...Kir Aoe.**_ "

* * *

They took shifts, keeping close eyes on their symbol of hope and most of all light. Kara was out of the woods with what had made her so gravely ill and nearly ended her existence. Now she was focusing on her little girl that once again was kicking everyone's butts at the board games. It didn't help that she'd pouted each of them into snacks that she was practically surrounded by.

"I quit. She's far too good." Lucy muttered tossing her hand in the pile.

"Well she's ran through each of her own games and pummeled us with those ones." Lena stated taking a sip of her iced tea.

"Coins please!" Rose smiled while holding her cards close to her chest.

"Hmmm…" Amelia glanced at her cards then at the ones lain out for their texas hold em, dumping her own hand on the mound of chips. "Not gonna continue this round."

"Good call." Maggie couldn't believe how good her niece was at hustling. "Hey Danvers, I think she's got ya beat at everything." Alex glared and sighed, refusing to give in.

"More Dak Blues!" The Director shook her head and tossed in what her niece had.

"Did she just whip you into another thou?" Susan asked while snacking on chex mix.

"Actually another fifteen hundred. But hey...who's counting." Alex glanced up at her sister. "Gonna ante up dear sis?"

"Might as well." Kara threw down three blue chips. "Okay kiddo. Can we drop em?"

"Thousees!" Maggie, Alex, Kara, Lena and Susan sighed when Rose threw two yellows on the pile.

"That's it. I'm out." Vasquez put her hands out when she tossed her cards on the chips.

"She just raised this shit…. _shit._ " Alex put her head back shaking it. Her wife tapped her on the shoulder motioning her to pay up. "Has she got a college intuition yet?"

"You are the one that drops the slander the most Danvers." Sawyer snickered.

"I will take it back from you on the table." The exes narrowed eyes at each other.

"This is just amusing." The Co Director laughed as her and Sam clinked their glass cokes together.

"Dang it kid. Ugh…" Lena counted her chips then looked at her wife. "Couldn't lone me a few could ya?"

"Depends. Can I collect interest?" Both Kieran and Danvers jaws dropped. Sawyer fell back on her back in heavier laughter.

"That is called being schooled the executive way." Lucy high fived Kara.

"That was pretty good sis."

"No it wasn't." Lena protested. "I'm gonna check on the cook.."

"COOKIES!" Rose threw her cards on the pot of gold with all their eyes widening. She flew over to the kitchen clapping. "Cookie Mommy?

"Darling? I hope you didn't want any." Lena chuckled with their daughter engulfing both trays of them.

"Sometimes it sucks they can't be burned." Maggie chimed in then glared when Sam got three from Rose. "Whaaaa.."

"Yet she doesn't share with me." Kara grumbled.

"Next time Mama!" The blonde put her head down with everyone else laughing including _Little One_. Everyone jumped as her phone rang with two of their jaws hitting the floor.

"Why…. _why_ do you still have N-Sync ringtones sis?" Alex quirked up an eyebrow. Kara just ignored her, getting up to retrieve her phone.

"That's never gonna change Alex. I can't figure out the passcode to erase them."

"My my Kieran. Always hacking everything you can get your grubby little paws on?" Lucy brought up while taking another sip of her coke.

"Kara speaking. Hello?" Kara looked at everyone sitting on the floor who were looking her direction. " _Hello_...anyone there?"

" _ **Ehrosh Bem Kir Aoe.**_ " Her gasp, a drop of her device that hit the floor loudly and one rapid heartbeat the other three kryptonians in the room heard brought deeper concerned faces all focused on Kara. Ruby flew over and snatched up the phone, pressing on speaker. " _ **Nahn Iovis**_ _your Earth_ _ **Zrhythrev Kir Aoe?**_ " Alex was up and across the room before her niece could consider the option to use her heat vision on the thing. The laughter made even _her_ wanna use all the rounds in her magazine on it.

"Listen here _bitch_..Kara is _MY_ _ **KIR AOE**_!" She would not just stand back and let this low life wannabe call her sister that." The laughter didn't die down and Alex was _really_ beginning to hate it. That did it. Alex swiped up the phone from Ruby and took it off of speaker. "Now you talk to me _only me_ , you got that?"

" _You amuse me_ _ **Rth Inah. Chaiahm Im Astra In-Ze.**_ " All the color rushed from Alex's face. Something about this person unnerved her in a way that not even Non had. Being called _Earth Child_ didn't phase her as much as being called a killer, a murderer. " _Did she weep when you murdered our Aunt?_ "

" _ **Ta Kao Rrip Sem.**_ You will _not_ speak to her until you tell me what you want."

" _ **Rrip Rruhsh Skulir Zhed Dhehriv.**_ " She hadn't even known she was shaking but it had to have been bad enough for four of them to leave with Rose, to the panic room. Alex could only hear the last words spoken to her. She couldn't hear her wife or daughter hold her or her sister reach out and take her hand that wasn't holding the phone.

"Give it to me." Skye snarled. When the phone wasn't placed in her hand she took it and threw it onto the table after setting it back on speaker. " _ **Rrip Kao**_ _NOT THREATEN THEM!_ _**Rrip Nim Tuv Chahv Rruhsh Dhehriv.**_ I have no problem in sentencing you to death for threatening to kill my Aunt you piece of trash. How _dare_ you tell my Mother Alexandra to watch you kill her sister! My Aunt forgave her for Astra's honorable death! _Back...OFF_!"

"Skye." Both Kara and Alex called motioning with their heads at Ruby's eyes.

"You will come here." She spoke firmly but calm enough, ignoring the darkness festering in her glowing orbs. "Show outside. Ten minutes."

" _ **Suzh Kir Dovrrosh**_ **.** "

"Dammit.." The line went dead but Ruby knew what was said wasn't wrong.

"She called you _Little Darkness_." Sam said not approving of someone other than family using that word in kryptonese to her daughter. "Ruby."

"I'll be fine." Skye rushed out and into their locked down chamber to retrieve her suit.

"Artemis." Alex looked at her wife. "Grab our suits. Kara's too." Sam nodded flying out of the room just as Ruby returned, wearing hers. "Skye?"

"Got em." Artemis touched down holding both Kara's newer Supergirl suit and Phoenix's modified one. "When we get done here I need to buffer out the scratches on your coat of arms Rubes." Sam saw her wife put her suit on but when Kara went to put on her own her body was trembling. "Kara."

"We won't let anything happen to you Kar. _You are MY_ _ **Kir Aoe**_ **.** Remember that." Alex hugged her sister tightly seeing her nod. They armored up and flew out to the balcony. When they got out to the deck all four of them froze.

The figure floating before them, away from the edge, wore the House of El insignia over the left side of their chest. That coat of arms was in the colors of three shades of blood. The vest of her outfit was an even darker red as if a shade of burgundy. There was no cape, nor anything resembling either Supergirl's nor Superman's suits. Black pants along with another crest on the side, covered her legs. Black boots topped off her attire. They didn't need to guess, to know what this person had on was what kryptonian soldiers wore.

But what had them all frozen in place, wasn't the dark auburn strands of long hair, but the cerulean orbs so similar to Kara's but entirely darker and cold.

"We finally meet. _**Kir Aoe..**_ " She looked down at them and smiled when one of them removed her helmet.

"Kara no." Sam wanted to stop her, so did Alex. Ruby was ready to knock her aunt out cold if that's what it took. Instead she floated up with all three of them yelling her name, but she ignored the calls to bring her back down.

"You do not approach her unless you go through me." Skye removed her own helmet and dropped it for her mother to catch. "Who are you and why do you bear that symbol.."

"Is that what you wish to know Little Niece?" Ruby clenched her jaw watching this person slowly move to the left as she moved to the right. They were practically circling each other. "I'll give you two questions to ask me."

"You don't make the rules here." Skye was trying to keep her eyes from glowing. She didn't want this stranger knowing all her parlor tricks. The laugh from her didn't just bother her other mom, it was pissing her off too. She made a slight gesture with her fingers that both Artemis and Phoenix saw, knowing they would know what to do.

"So _you_ do?" Those three words unsettled Ruby and she immediately knew why. Before the three on the deck could fend off the attack, a beam of heat vision had been directed right at Supergirl. Alex must have been waiting for a strike of some sort because she slid in front of her sister, releasing the fires within as flames covered her in a protective shield.

"NO!" Neither Sam nor Kara could stop the inferno of massive rage as she flew up to slip between this evil and her daughter. "ALEX!"

"Mom! Get back!" Ruby couldn't stop every ounce of fear that flooded her body. "Mom.."

" _ **Rrip Tul Dhehr..**_ " Alex felt the very air punched from her body gasping, unable to get any other word out. Her vision swam as her entire skeletal structure shook for a brief moment. She knew without a doubt her armor had been crushed at her stomach. Her niece had been slapped away and her own body was being flown up far higher than even she had gone before.

" _ **Kigrhys Rraop Pahskil.**_ You know _exactly_ what I'm saying don't you." Alex knew it was only a matter of moments before she passed out from the blow or dangerous altitude. The words whispered at the side of her head, even through her headgear, had her unable to hear anything else. "Perhaps...you need a lesson in what you are.. _weak_ ." Her lungs fought for air when the helmet was ripped from her head and tossed away. "Did you really think you could stop me?"

"K...K…" Alex felt hypoxia taking over.

"I want you to remember the name before I let your body fall to your tomb. Remember it well, when at your last moments that whole ' _Brave One'_ disappears." Danvers was helpless to move any of her limbs as she was brought closer to the devil. " _ **Jehna Zor-El.**_ " Even with the name whispered, it rung through her skull. "Goodbye…' _Weak One'_."

" _ALEX!"_ Kara soared up and held out her hands to catch her sister as she fell. Zor-El remained in the air while cradling Alex to her chest. " _ **Khap Nim Ewuhshehd..**_ "

"You don't kill Little Sister. _That_ in your hands, isn't family. _I am_. Those on this wretched planet have made you nothing but human. Live to be taken down by me another day. Take that _thing_ , and leave." Kara didn't even see her move, but it didn't matter now. She descended quickly but carefully with her sister in her arms.

"KARA! ALEX!" Maggie yelled running out along with the others. She didn't even notice Dreamer fly up as she caught Skye's body. "What the.."

" _RUBY! ALEX?! KARA_!" Sam couldn't fathom what had just happened. Her daughter had a bruised face. Her wife looked lifeless in his sister's arms.

"Get them inside!" Amelia yelled with Lucy and her wife keeping their guns aimed at the sky.

"I've got her Sam." Nia assured her. "Rose is safe. Grandpa J'onn and Brainy are with her."

" _Rao no_.." Kara flew past them making haste to the medical wing of the AOD.

"KARA! Dammit!" Lucy looked to Susan. "Take the underground tunnel to the agency with the others. Sam, you and Nia fly Ruby there. We will meet up okay?" Artemis glanced at her daughter, in shock that someone could actually inflict that damage to a kryptonian far stronger than all of them.

"Let's go." Dreamer handed Skye to her mother who nodded.

"We need to get a move on." They ran back inside to make their way down to the garage. Radio calls were made, messages were sent and prayers were spoken in hopes that Rao heard them. They'd need all the help that they could get..

* * *

She touched down on the peak, cursing in several languages under her breath. How evil she had been and she wondered if any of it had been worth that ruthlessness of pure unadulterated callousness, she had shown them. The _Brave One_ had been only protecting Kara. She'd been defending who they both called their little sister. Then Jehna had struck her niece, her own flesh and blood.

"Forgive me _Rao._ " She asked that of him and never wanted things to be this way. She had been glad that Kara did what even she couldn't. It showed that this Supergirl bravado that she put up, wasn't the case when everything came down to what mattered. She had watched from a distance when that symbol of hope struck down their enemies in a completely different suit. Uncle Non was Jehna's own enemy too.

Oh she had known when her little sister had kicked him off the ship but not administered the final blow. _She_ had. Kara didn't need that hanging over her head. Jehna had slaughtered many. For some reason, the idea of striking blood family that way she struggled with. That was until Non could have survived. No doubt with how stubborn the bastard was, he would have lived.

She knew she shouldn't show such weakness but it was her own hands that had done these things. Jehna looked at them with the blood of her niece and the _Brave One_ on them. "Kara...I'm sorry." She let the tears fall still looking at her hands. "Forgive me Kara." For the first time in years, she wept for lost loved ones. She wept for family killed and for family she didn't protect. Jehna had to right this wrong if she even could. How could she when she'd caused this agony.

She fell to her knees and brought her stained hands to her face as she cried. How had she become this monster, when all she ever wanted was to be the savior that their lost planet needed. Nothing had come from the blood she shed or gave. There was no savior for even her lost soul..

* * *

They'd all felt the blow, even when only one had taken it truly. Nothing else had mattered when Ruby had come to, then screamed both her mothers names. She immediately rushed to where her mom was attempting to pull the damaged armor away from her wife's torso. Skye knew then how badly things had gotten when she had her lights knocked out. She had never expected this.

After careful consideration they had decided to move everyone to the fortress once more and Artemis was really hating the place with how close together both visits had been when it came to the Danvers sisters. Sure, it wasn't icy cold like people thought but it was cold enough that it could further damage her wife.

"Her breathing is far too shallow Sam! We need to administer.."

"Prepare the transfusion." Kara's words had stopped everyone in their tracks. She stepped forward and ripped away the sleeve of her Super suit. "Do it."

"Kara wai.."

"Do it." She wouldn't back down now. She had to save her sister at all costs. "I know the consequences. I'll take them. Please Amelia. Do it."

"Lady Kara?" Kelex chose that exact moment to intervene and if looks could kill she would have incinerated by now. "I beg of you to consider.."

"NO! I _WON'T..LOSE MY SISTER_!" She was furious but they could all see that it was more fear than anything else. "We don't have time. Amelia.." Kara looked at Sam pleading with everything she had. "Sam _please._ "

"Dammit Zor-El." Ruby shook the ' _what ifs'_ away, nodding to Kelex to whisper what she needed. As a kryptonian family, this wasn't something they had reached an agreement on and now...Kara was gonna risk everything. She whispered something in their language as crystals rose to create another table. "Want the…"

"I won't fight it Rubes. Hurry... _Rao please.._ " Ruby looked up at her mom who nodded for them to work together instead of against one another with their doubts and uncertainties. If they didn't do this, they'd lose her.

"We can't slip a... _KARA_!" They all gasped when Supergirl used her heat vision to cut her own arm enough to cause it to bleed. "Are you insane?!"

"No. I'm desperate. Get the IV in there now." Kara jumped up laying down to turn her head and reach out to take one of her sister's hands. " _ **Khap Ukiem Rrip Alektrah.**_ " She kept her other arm out and winced when she felt the thicker needle pushed into her arm. "I can take it." It didn't matter the pain, all that mattered was Alex. " _ **Te Wai Aoe.**_ _**El Mayarah Alektrah.**_ "

"Her blood pressure is dropping Sam." Lena stated, with both Ruby and her mom finally removing the last of the shards of the suit's metal from Alex's body. "It's not gonna.."

"DAMMIT! _**Voikir Te AOE!**_ " Kara looked at her niece. " _Bleed me._ " Skye's heart slammed to a stop. "Do it Rubes."

"Wait...RUBY!" Lena yelled and brought her hands to her face in horror with her emeralds shaking at what she saw. She wasn't the only one.

"Alex has lost too much blood Ruby!"

"That's what I'm hoping for." Skye scanned her body to see just how little was in Alex. That's what she needed. She didn't want to risk what she knew could kill a regular human. "I'm waiting for her to go into hemostasis. I need her to be essentially almost out before.."

" _THAT CAN KILL THEM BOTH RUBY_!" Sam wasn't going to risk that but when she went to stop what her daughter was doing she was met with the darkest of red orbs glowing as a warning. " _Save them...just save them please.._ "

"I'm sorry guys." Ruby kicked her mother away and unleashed a bit of heat vision around the table, forcing everyone to back away. She forced her freeze breath around her and the tables, encasing them in a dome that none of them, even her mom, could break. Skye focused on both sisters, only to see ceruleans pooled with fear for _her person_. "I'll save her Kara."

"Thank.." Ruby lunged out and grabbed Kara by her arm, squeezing to get the blood through the hose quicker. She checked Alex and knew the transfer was safe to do. It was then she saw what slipped out of her aunt's hand as it tapped the crystal beneath Kara. She mouthed something and Ruby shook her head. Supergirl nodded and with a grave reluctance she took it and placed it on Alex's finger.

"You are going to be okay _**Alektrah**_. Just hold on." Ruby made sure that the strap was secure around Alex's arm, so the IV line didn't pull out. She noticed all hell breaking loose as her family tried to shatter or burn off the icy shield she'd created. Her eyes quit glowing and she kept her eyes on her other mom's body, especially her vitals. Every pump of her aunt's blood that flowed through the line, leaving her depleted, into who they were both attempting to save kept them both on edge.

Ruby knew that even though they were kryptonian and their skin was practically impervious to almost everything that came at them, even Zor-El was at risk of dying. Was this what she was willing to risk so Alex would live? Skye already knew the answer. It was an even greater risk, considering that Kal-El was off world and when the DEO had been destroyed so had the reserves of Kara's blood. None of them were aware that, just like she had done before to save her, a blood transfusion couldn't be administered again. When they had done that, it was of a different circumstance. Ruby yelled to Kelex to turn on the yellow sun lamps then returned to the process, focusing all of her attention on both of them.

"RUBY!" Sam had finally gotten through but as she did and the rest of them ran up, her daughter looked into her eyes. "Rubes?"

"That tank is full of Zor-El's blood. At least twenty pints have been pumped into Alex. I need you to complete the process." Ruby took her mom's hand and placed it in her other mom's. "I need you to do this Mom. She will be alright. Take care of _**Alektrah**_."

"Wait what?" Sam watched her daughter pull Zor-El from the table after ripping off the cuff with the line, seeing just how pale Kara was. Before she could say anymore, with them all screaming who Ruby flew out with, her attention was brought back to her wife. "Alex?"

"Where is she taking her Sam? Where is she taking my wife?!" Lena was angry, worried, scared, but above all trying to be hopeful. Just as she was about to yell again they heard a gasp from the woman on the table. "Alex?"

" _ **Rrahn Nim Khuhtiv Aos Aoe?**_ " Her voice was stronger than any of them expected. Alex's normal browns were almost the colors of chesnutt now. "Where's my baby sister Sam?" She moved her arm and felt a sting glancing down to see exactly what was causing it. Alex studied what was flowing from the line and into her. Her eyes widened and when she squeezed her wife's hand she nearly crushed it. "What the.." When her hand was let go she raised it to her view and it was then she saw the Legion Ring, but there were three sapphire stones placed along the side.

"That ring.." It donned on her just what her wife had done. But then where had Ruby taken Kara?

"Where is she? Someone tell me!" Alex snarled and when she did her eyes began to burn as she screamed out. Maggie and Lucy were quick to pull Lena and Nia out of the way before they were crushed by massive icicles. "Shit." Alex noticed just what she had done. "Heat vision." She shook that away and mouthed _sorry_ to those she could have crushed with her little blast of power. When she knew the line was done she ripped the damn thing out of her arm and sat up gasping as she watched her skin repair itself from where the needle had been in. "Someone _please_ tell me what the hell is going on." _Where would they even begin_..


	7. Chapter 7

**Forgiven Frailty (Last Eve of March)**

"Please... _please..._ _ **Rao Sokao Vokai**_ _me find her..help me_ _ **Vokai Khap**_ _find_ _ **Jehna Zor-El..**_ " Ruby didn't know where to even start looking. "Please... _please..._ _ **Rao Sokao Vokai**_ _me find her..help me_ _ **Vokai Khap**_ _find_ _ **Jehna Zor-El..**_ " Skye didn't expect her prayers to be answered as the woman that had once struck her down, appear beside them. " _She doesn't have.._ "

"I know. Follow me." Ruby had a choice to make and without any protest, she followed her aunt. No matter the fued, _that's_ what Jehna was. Skye soared down, somehow able to keep up with her and surprised just as much that this woman could even best her own speed. Was _she_ the child of a World Killer too?

"Where are we.."

" _ **Rrip Kehp**_ to trust me _**Ruby In-Ze.**_ Your last name is _not_ _ **Kor-El.**_ Your mother may be the child of his but above all, you are _**Astra In-Ze's**_ granddaughter. Down here." Skye stored this information away for the time being. Nagging questions had to wait. She could feel her aunt's body growing weaker.

"Where is this?" Ruby descended down to the mountains flying beside her aunt, but holding back some for her to take the lead. "Another fortress?"

"One I made." Jehna explained as they landed. "Give me a moment." Skye wasn't surprised that how her aunt had her own way of entry, so did her other aunt. "Come." When Ruby entered she gasped at what she saw. "Hurry." She followed only to see similar crystals appear from the more earthy ground. "I made it one of my priorities to learn the customs of medicine for this planet. I have what you need. I had anticipated this." Skye's eyes widened with this kryptonian motioning for her to lower her aunt carefully onto the slab of stone. "Grab the knife from that chest. All the instruments are there."

"How did you know?" Ruby made haste to retrieve what was necessary. It was the blade that caught her darker eyes. " _This knife._."

"The only thing, other than kryptonites, that can penetrate our bodies. Ask them after, focus on _**Khuhtive Kir Aoe.**_ " Jehna knew her little sister's life was fading fast. "I can take it. _Bleed me_." Ruby used the blade to cut into her arm and remembered what Aunt Kara had said when she was ready to do whatever it took to save her other mom. They were more alike than they knew.

Yet, this aunt held something else that she just couldn't quite put her finger on. Reluctantly she pierced a vein carefully in the blonde's arm. "Hand me the line." Ruby gave it over as her eyes grew large. "I can force it into her body a little faster. I won't go too quickly, I know what that could cause. Retrieve the four yellowish-orange crystals from the chest in the lead lined box. When I tell you, place them in the four pedestals around us. They will generate a wave of pure solar energy. She will need it once we get enough of my blood in her."

Jehna would not fail her little sister. She had failed herself far too often. She would right this wrong she had caused. Kara deserved that and despite her cruelty before, Alex did too. She was already feeling faint from blood loss but she would not falter from what she had started here. "Hand me the tube in the side of that pedestal." Jehna told her niece. _Her_ niece. Ruby was that. She watched with fading vision as the vial was brought to her and she brought it to her face to clench the lid with her teeth and rip it off, spitting it out. "Here goes nothing."

"What is that?" Skye's jaw dropped as she watched the color return to her face meeting those darker cerulean orbs. "That's sun.."

"Yes. I will need it if I am to give her anymore of my blood. In a moment, place the crystals in each pedestal." Jehna listened carefully to her baby sister's heartbeat and nodded. "Do it, then hold on tightly to one of the stands." She clenched to the stone table with her free hand as the last of the crystals were placed in their slots. " _ **Rao...Sokao**_ _save_ _ **Kara Zor-El..**_ "

Ruby wasn't prepared for the blast of solar energy that hit her harder than any strike she'd ever been dealt and she hung on for dear life gasping when her body took in far more sunlight than ever before. Her knees nearly buckled from the power and even the darkness within her hadn't been able to absorb it all. She screamed out and she wasn't the only one. Jehna matched her scream with her own and with the wave passing she nearly passed out right then and there.

" _ **Rao…**_ " Both heard the faintest of that one word from the one on the stone slab. " _ **Rao Ta..**_ "

" _ **Bezhgam**_ back _**Kir Aoe.**_ " Jehna spoke as softly as she could and when those warmer cerulean eyes met her own that seemed to lift from that darker shade, she smiled her first genuine one since she arrived on a place she wondered if she could call _home._

" _You_ saved me?" Was she dreaming?

"She saved you Auntie. She saved you." Ruby carefully removed the line from her aunt's arm then did the same to her other aunt. Skye slid her gaze to the hand that slipped into the other's and squeezed it. "I will give you both a few minutes." She walked away and knew there would be no battle in this place. Then she wondered if she even had cell service where she was. Ruby cursed her own stupidity at not wearing her com when leaving. There wasn't any time to though. "Well fuck.." Perhaps she'd be giving them more than a few minutes and she pointed to the entrance which her aunt nodded..

* * *

"I'm sorry for the pain I caused her Kara." Jehna truly did regret her actions more than ever. Her little sister looked at their joined hands then up at her. "If I could take it back I would."

"Thank you." Kara attempted to sit up and felt her body pushed up the rest of the way. Their ceruleans met once more. "What you did to my sister.."

"When you are well enough to stand, unleash your wrath on me. I deserve it." Jehna told her.

"I wanted to. I really did. I've already broken my code.."

"You mean the one not to kill?" Kara gasped. "I know. You didn't kill him little sister. _I did._ " The news shot through her. Then she realized how none of them had found his body. "We are more different than she believes. I felt the shift in her heartbeat. I know what you told Alexandra."

"What do you mean?"

" _ **Khap**_ _can take it. Bleed me._ " Jehna shared with Kara's eyes widening again. She smiled. "We both needed to save someone." When she knew her little sister could sit up on her own, she let go of her hand. "Our Niece has her own questions, which I will answer. Ask yours. _**Khap Nim**_ honest with you both."

"I don't know where to start." Kara didn't. Then she thought about what she wanted to know most. "Are you my.."

"I am your big sister. I will not continue to take that from _**Alektrah**_ though. Above all else, she welcomed you in and created something with you I know we could never have." Jehna took a moment to calm her racing pulse, for the sake of Kara. "Our Mother is the same. Our Fathers are not."

"But my father.." She stopped interrupting so she could know everything that her sister was offering. "Was he not our Mother's first?"

"No. There was a friend of our Mother that the matrix had actually matched with her. In secret and silence, I was born. For no blessing from the High Council, they kept me just that. A _secret._ My father hadn't married our Mother yet so he took me to raise until I was older. Our Mother was brought into the Council. From there you know of what she became beyond that. I did not know who my mom was because if I did, I would try to go see her. If I did…"

"The High Council would know who you were." Kara had put the pieces together quickly. Jehna nodded.

"Without wedlock, my Father began to run with the wrong soldiers that were denied the right as guards. They were angered and with that anger came vengeance. My father began to defy the Court and Council. He brought grave injuries to one of the sons of a member of the Court. He was banished and I was taken in by a friend of his that I considered my Uncle. I was angry so I lashed out. I began to cause ruckus in the village. I would yell at Court members. Then I stole just out of spite and was caught by one of the guards."

Jehna looked away from her sister and slipped off the stone slab she had been laying on with Kara. She brought distance between them and kept her back to her. "When I was caught I struggled to get free. The guard has his gun attached to the strap across his body. I moved wrong when I kicked and to hang onto something to keep from falling from the top of the building's ledge, I grabbed his gun. It was an accident but many witnessed what had happened."

She put her head down with her hand to her sides, clenched by the memory. "It had been an accident but because of what the ones said to what they saw...I was brought to the Court to be sentenced. Since my Father had done what he did, his blood and lineage had been stripped from the matrix. If I hadn't yelled my father's name when I was before them, I wouldn't have been banished to Fort Rozz." Kara was appalled.

"They banished you to _there_?" She had always felt that the High Court and Council had made some poor decisions. But to sentence a child there.. "How old were you?"

"I was eight. When the punishment had been brought to the table, it had been Alura _our Mother_ to be the final vote. For a moment I saw something flash her eyes when I prepared to scream at her. I saw a pair of blues that were so very like my own."

Jehna turned around to face her sister once more and facing her Kara saw the pain in her eyes. "When I was dropped in that hell, I began to learn the customs and laws of the other prisoners. I learned of a few of those that defied everything to try to escape. I then learned about my Father and how when the guards came to punish him further, for his blind murderous rage, he was executed screaming my name as he died."

Kara felt like she was going to puke by the cruelty that had been bestowed upon Jehna and her father. "Years had passed and then I learned of another two that arrived in our hopeless prison. I was told by some and heard from them, about how our Aunt and her husband were banished there for their crimes of trying to save Krypton. I met Non by chance and when he heard about who my Father was and I learned about his friendship with him, I found out how he betrayed him to save his own skin."

"You learned who your Mother was." Jehna nodded. "Did Non know?"

"He did. Aunt Astra didn't. He wouldn't tell her but he reminded me how much he hated my eyes because they reminded him every day of the putrid eyes of his wife's sister's and her pathetic little offspring. I swallowed down that news that I had a baby sister." She walked towards her own sister then, keeping eye contact with her. "I found out about our Cousin and your mission. I found out later about your hell in the Phantom Zone."

"When did you get free from there?" Kara had a feeling she knew but needed that confirmation.

"When you and the three others came there, searching for someone, there was an explosion and several prisoners died. I got free and with it I found an abandoned pod. I fixed the damage to it and I waited until the coast was clear. I remembered when I saw you for the first time and even though it was just a quick glance, I knew it was you."

"Why didn't you come up to me then? I could have saved you and brought you.." Jehna shook her head.

"You had enough to deal with. I knew our paths would cross again." She took her little sister's hands in her own. "When I came to this planet, I wasn't the only escapee. I learned of what humans called military branches. I began to learn all of the customs and different languages of Earth. I studied everything from literature to the most difficult of sciences for humans. I trained in the ways of those I stayed with on Fort Rozz. I learned all the techniques of different fighting styles that there were. The one who had took me in when I was younger, had been one that fled with me to Earth. We began training together."

"If you think I will condone you like our planet and family have...I won't. You can tell me."

"I've killed many Kara. I am glad you have not done that. I won't let you do that. I caught Non before he could hit the ground. I would not let you think you killed him." Jehna refused to have her little sister become what she was.

"But...his guards.." She shook her head.

"They were of our planet Kara. You didn't kill any of them. Did you bash their skulls in and break some stuff in their bodies? Yes. But you didn't kill anyone. As ruthless as I've been, I pumped a gas into their ship to increase their cells, to avoid their deaths by your hands. I have been watching you longer than you think. I know all about Supergirl. I know that our Niece is from both our Cousin and the World Killer _Reign_. I know that she harnesses some of that power. I watched footage from what I learned about the internet, of your fight with Reign. I saw you fall. I was ready to kill that thing. Then I learned who that body belonged to."

"Why did you come to attack me then?" Kara was confused more than ever.

"I learned of what Non had done and learned all about the darkness you wield inside you. I knew that if our paths crossed after you let that consume you, you would end my life before you knew the truth of who I was. I couldn't take that risk and the fact that a human called you sister...I lost it."

"You thought I would kill you?" Kara shuttered at the thought of ending someone's life by her own hands. Tears ran down her face. "I couldn't.."

"I know that now. I tried to kill those you call family and I...I was envious and that jealousy brought something out in me that I hadn't felt since Fort Rozz."

* * *

Skye remained above the peak, listening attentively to the entire conversation and was surprised at whom flew her way. Ruby was about to call out but one finger brought to her other mom's lips signaled her silence. Immediately she noticed what Alex didn't have. _Her suit_.

Artemis came closer to whisper with her driven wonder. Her daughter could hear far better than any of their kryptonian family. Phoenix hovered and begun to use sign language to ask where her sister was. Skye returned her response.

Sam noticed both her wife and daughter in their silent conversation and wished like hell she'd learned that too. But she saw their newest of blood glance down at the mountain. Before either of them could stop her Alex was flying down towards where she easily saw the entrance with her vision. She hadn't told them about when her and her sister had once been trapped in each other's bodies and Alex had to learn how to handle all that power.

"Please don't think I could ever punish you like that Jehna. I just hope that my big sis holds the same optimism." Both heard the hard landing of one rather pissed off kryptonian. "Alex!"

" _ **Ehduhl Kuks**_ _from_ _ **Khuhtov Aoe.**_ " Danvers snarled walking slowly towards them.

" _ **KHUHTOV Kir Aoe!**_ Shit.." That was the wrong thing to say as a beam of heat vision came her direction which Jehna met with her own.

" _STOP!_ " Kara yelled getting up and firing her own in the middle of both of theirs, forcing them to end their attacks at one another. "You are _both_ my sisters." She told them holding out her hands in both directions as her head fell back and she dropped to her knees, spent of energy.

"KARA!" They rushed over bending down at the same time, as if mirroring one another's movements. Brown met blue and for the moment they called truce to attend to their sister.

"What is it?" Jehna was sure that the amount she gave her was enough to bring her back with the solar charges added. Obviously she was wrong.

"Kar." Alex took one of her sister's hands and put it to her chest as she did the same. "C'mon. Match your heartbeat with mine sis. Come on. There you go. Listen to mine. Breathe with me." Danvers listened carefully and heard their united tempos. Alex put her forehead against Kara's. "There we go."

"I…" Jehna was rather surprised with how the trained agent had pulled Kara behind her to keep their sister from who she viewed as a threat. But Kara had another plan and when she touched Alex's shoulder the woman lowered her hand. She deserved this, shifted herself onto her knees and put her hands behind her head that she put down. "Do it."

"You attacked my family. I don't give a damn who you think you are but.."

"Alex.." Kara pleaded. Alex calmed the glow of her eyes and turned her head to look in the cerulean orbs she'd memorized since they were kids. "She saved me." Browns met the blues of the woman.

"Is this true?" Jehna nodded. "Why?"

"I will understand if you must return what I did to you. I will understand if you wish to sentence me to death. I just ask one thing of you...that you do not prolong it." This soldier's eyes studied her carefully as if looking for her weaknesses and practically gazing into the little soul she had left. But when their gazes once again met, the icy browns in Alex's orbs began to warm. Then a hand came out to her and slowly she brought her own out.

" _ **Alektrah Kor-El.**_ " She would give this one a chance.

" _No. you are_ _ **Alektrah In-Ze.**_ I am _**Jehna Zor-El.**_ " Both accepted one another's hands, shaking as if in some form of peace. Jehna kept a hold of Alex's and put her head down. "Whatever you wish, I will not fight. My apologies cannot run deep enough, but they are meant with all of Rao's presence." She let go then and waited. One shake of this warrior's head along with a slight smile, warranted their mood.

"You saved Kara. I would take whatever strike it takes to protect her. Ruby would not have come to you if she thought you would hurt her Aunt. But...you can best guarantee I will kick your ass later." Alex smirked.

"Deal." Jehna looked at her little sister, both Alex and hers, and smiled with how she was gripping to both their arms. "Kara.." Those gentle blues so like her own rose to hers. "You need to take it easy. We can move you to your fortress or to your home."

"I'm sure she'd rather go home. We have a med bay there." Alex was inviting Jehna in who nodded in acceptance. They heard the harsher landing of Danvers' wife and cursed under her breath.

"Get away Alex! This _bitch_ deals with me!" Sam snarled with her eyes burning a darker red. Alex knew exactly what that their daughter attempted to push her back.

"Mom...Mom don't." Skye could feel her darker bloodline rolling off of Artemis' body. " _Reign...don't._ "

" _REIGN!_ " Jehna stood up with her eyes burning a darker glow than her sister's. "You tried to kill my sister."

"No...no no.." Kara pushed herself from the ground even with how wobbly as she was. "Jehna, it's alright. She won't hurt me. She just comes out in Sam when she's pissed."

"Stand down babe." Alex helped hold Kara up and when Jehna calmed her eyes she slid an arm around her too. "Kick her ass with me later."

"Kara.." Lena ran over and practically knocked her wife down with how tight she hugged her. "I was so scared darling.." Alex held on to avoid both of them falling over. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Where is…"

" _MAMA_ _ **Khap Ukiem Rrip**_!" None of them were prepared for that force and both Rose's mom's landed on their backs with Alex and Jehna on their sides. "Mama okay?"

"Mama's okay _Little One_." Kara smiled, holding her daughter and giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I'm okay.." Her eyes widened as her daughter flew out of her arms and into Jehna's.

"Auntie!" Strong yet soft arms wrapped around her neck and Jehna was unsure how to react. "Auntie hug!" She did just that, watching her strength as her arms came around the little girl.

"Jehna, meet mine and my wife's daughter Rose." Kara noticed the tears running down her sister's face. " _ **Ni Zivhrah**_ **.** " She told her and it made Jehna cry even harder keeping her arms around Kara's _Little One_. This was _her_ niece _._

"Rose?" Jehna swallowed down the rush of emotions as her niece pulled back to look at her and she saw the gorgeous sky blue eyes with hints of cerulean. "I'm Jehna."

"Auntie Jehna!" The little girl just dove back in to hug her.

"You okay darling?" Lena asked, weary of who was holding their daughter. As Alex helped them up her sister in law looked at her for answers. "Alex."

"She won't hurt her." Danvers assured Kieran.

"She's right Mom." Ruby told her nervous mother whom was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet at different times.

"Did I hear you right Alex? Are you inviting...allowing her back to our.."

"Yes." Alex looked at her sister who nodded in agreement. "We should head out soon. I don't think we want little Rose out too late. How did you two get here anyway?"

"Thank your wife. I wasn't going to just leave _Little One_ at home. She was crying for Kara."

"Oh okay." She was still adjusting to the Super hearing but everything else she seemed to have a good handle on. Alex heard the uneven tempo of Lena's. " _ **Zhehd Nim Bezhgam.**_ "

"Dreamer was right." Both Danvers looked at Kieran. "I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't after what happened to you Alex. But if you say she's welcome than that's good enough for me."

"You have good reason for that. I have caused your family.."

" _Our_ family." Kara and Alex spoke as one. Jehna looked into her sister's eyes and then Alex, who was...she had another sister now.

"That can be discussed later. Sam?" Artemis motioned for Ruby to take Rose as she scooped up Lena.

"Do you have your.." She just rolled her eyes smiling. "Of course. You think of everything Lee." Lena slipped the spare oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. "Hang on..Alex?"

"Yes love?"

" _ **Khap Shovuh Rrip Dhoia**_." Sam didn't expect her wife to move that fast and before she could fathom what had happened she felt Alex's lips on hers. She returned the kiss smiling after she'd told her beauty she loved her.

" _ **Khap Shovuh Rrip Zrhueiao.**_ " Alex smirked winking at her. Sam chuckled.

"Always the smooth talker." Both heard the heavy sigh from who was in her arms.

"If you two are gonna make googly eyes and start throwing sex adjectives I am having my niece fly me home." Both women laughed.

"Calm down _**Dhuhja**_.."

"Hey! Don't flirt with my wife Samantha." Kara glared.

"Did you know I got to grab her ass in college?" Alex just facepalmed, Lena turned beet red and Kara's jaw dropped. Meanwhile Jehna stood by Ruby with both of them laughing and Rose clapping. "Just say.." Her wife slapped a hand over her mouth.

"I swear, you and Sawyer have horrid habits and when we get back you need to pay up."

"Pay!" Rose clapped laughing.

"Ah….her bank account is floating already and she's only five." Lena laughed then slapped Sam on the arm. "Let's go please I'm freezing my butt off."

"Have a safe flight beautiful." Kara kissed her wife then walked over to Ruby and kissed her daughter's cheek. "Keep her safe Rubes."

"You got it. C'mon Mom you can play knock the bars later!" As the four of them flew out Kara looked at her sister.

"If you ask I will deny you potstickers for a week."

"I'll melt your face." Alex smirked.

"Not if I melt yours first sis. Payback's a bitch huh.." Both heard Jehna clear her throat.

"What are potstickers?" Their jaws dropped right to the floor but Alex was first to recover and put a hand on her new sister's shoulder.

"Oh have I got _alot_ to teach you."

"The arts of fine foods? I'm guessing those are what you mentioned."

"That is the major number one consumption of...OH YES!" Kara and Jehna looked at her funny. " _NOW I have the bottomless pit!_ "

"Dare I ask?" She looked at her blonde sister. Kara just shook her head.

"Ohhhhh they are gonna hate my ass now. Hey we getting out of here now? _I'm hungry_!"

"Help my sister, ten cents a day." Jehna rose an eyebrow at what Kara just said. "So if I heard this correct...you have a way to fill solar cells?" She nodded.

"I have a couple spare vials and if need be I will use my sun crystals." Alex shot her gaze to Jehna. "Let me show you two and once we both feel you are good enough to fly we can head out."

"I definitely would like to know more about these crystals you have. Being back in this state, I could use any and all aids." Alex shared with Jehna curious at this. "We switched bodies once and well...I learned how to drive instead of being a backseat driver like I always had been."

"That will help when you begin to manifest the other powers we _**Zor-El's**_ have." The Danvers sisters hadn't known this and more so Kara was wondering what she'd missed before. "Let's get you fueled okay?" They followed Jehna over eager to understand what none of them had ever discovered over the years. New kryptonian 101...

* * *

"She's down for the count." Ruby smiled, so relieved to have Rose calmed considering her mama hadn't returned yet. That little thought now rendered front and center attention, with those in the living room slipping their gazes to her.

"I can't help it." Sam spoke up leaning back on the couch and with joint nods she was grateful for that agreement. "She's…"

"I get it." Ruby walked over to the fridge to grab one of her iced tea bottles then sit down next to a rather nervous Lena. "You both have to understand my intentions by going to her."

"That bitch nearly killed Danvers. Hell, Alex's heart stopped Rubes!" Lucy slammed her glass down hard on the table in front of her. Susan and Amelia set their own down with Nia and Maggie standing at the glass sliding doors that lead out to the veranda. "Hey babe...don't you agree?" Sawyer turned her head to answer but didn't even get a chance to.

"You all need to comprehend the whole picture here. Don't you remember how Kara was when she first came to this planet? I know you've been told the stories from Alex." Nia said luring all eyes on her now. "They didn't see eye to eye right away. Alex struggled with her own demons and Kara struggled to get a hold on her powers she never had even asked for. The older sister scolded the younger one. They grew apart when Alex went off to college. Kara lost herself and didn't find that again until the night.."

"The night she risked it all to save Alex and the rest of the passengers on that plane." The Co Director added to the table. "Then the DEO shot her down with kryptonite darts."

"It was the first time I actually felt betrayed." Kara shared with her and her two sisters coming in. Those in the room were ready to stand and for that matter take on the woman that had entered, but Alex put out a hand and mouthed _no_. She must have known what they were thinking. "The thing is...that even though I had learned all about what my sister was doing, how she had to hide it, what they used as that _just in case_ policy...I began to see things differently. Sure, there were somethings that we didn't agree upon. That happens at all jobs and it's one of the reasons most places of employment don't allow family to work with each other."

"J'onn wanted me to school her in the ethics of becoming someone the world had learned about. He honestly wanted me to show Kara that flying around and catching planes wasn't enough. I educated her and I had to do it by essentially kicking her ass." Alex took over for her sister. "I had to keep her in line. Had to...had to make her less when she'd always been even more than me. I learned that it wasn't my strength or my smarts that had gotten me the job. It had been my sister and what J'onn saw when he bailed my ass out of jail."

"I heard about you getting in trouble with the law but daaaamn.." Lena wondered what else she didn't know about her sister in law. Her eyes kept flickering over to who was leaning against the wall with arms crossed and rather closed off.

"I was selfish at times and when a certain detective came around I was practically questioning everything including myself. I'd just gotten over three difficult things. Actually...four."

"Now I'm even more curious Danvers." Maggie walked over and sat down looking at Nia who stood next to their guest. Sawyer watched her ex go grab a soda versus a beer and actually started chuckling bringing a few glances her way. "So because you are pumping kryptonian now...does that mean you can wipe the floor with me at drinking?"

"Not sure." Alex floated up some while opening the cabinet smiling to find her sister's stash of crackers.

"Hey!" Kara glared then eyed the box in her hands. "I'll find your stash of fudge covered oreos."

"I'll melt your entire container of bon bons that you hoard at the agency." Almost everyone was laughing their asses off at the banter.

"I am not going to talk to you for two days and tell my daughter to use up your taco bell gift card on nachos."

"This is just too amusing." Maggie chimed in as she walked to the fridge then snatched the box up from her ex's hands. "Ohhhh look at that. Hey Kieran? Do you have that dip I like?"

"I wonder if this means I can use your bike as a bowling ball for a junkyard and set some cars up like pins." Sawyer threw the empty box at Alex's face that didn't even bother to catch it before the impact, tearing open the package stealing the empty lazyboy. "I'll use both your bikes."

"Anyone want one?" Maggie was gonna ignore the joking threat, but look into some higher security for the five bikes she owned.

"I'll melt your other three and use them for building my new one."

"Yeah yeah Danvers."

"Can we get back to the point in hand? I get you two have some deep seated issues and I'm not talking about my wife and your's Sam." Lucy had a headache already.

"We want answers." Lena stated looking directly at the arm crossed kryptonian. "Start talking." Like hell she was just gonna sit there and let this killer remain in their presence. " _Start talking_."

"Okay.." Kara needed to cool everyone's jets before things got out of hand. She stepped forward crossing her own arms just like her sister. "You all need to get it through your thick fucking skulls _that_ she is _my_ big sis too, _just_ like Alex is. I will not just stand here and let your judgements based on one.."

"Kara." Jehna understood the hostility. She knew she deserved every glare and tension that these people her little sister trusted were throwing her way. " _ **Zhehd Kehp Voiehd Dhugh**_."

"Not all of us know your fucking alien lang…" Lucy realized her error, far too late. Her best friend's sister as well as her friend had grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and shoved her against the wall. "Al.." Alex slid her upright. "Sor.."

"Danvers! Let go of my wife." Maggie wouldn't tolerate her ex treating Lucy like that. For the first time in her entire life, her hand went to her hip where her weapon was holstered. Alex already knew what the woman she once was gonna marry had signaled. She dropped the Co Director, turned around and walked to where her sister was standing. "Don't you _ever_ do that again!"

"Maggie.." Lena wanted to calm this tension down, knowing this wouldn't get them anywhere.

"Shut up Luthor." Sawyer felt herself slapped hard. "How _dare._."

" _My name is NOT LUTHOR!_ " Kieran wouldn't stand for this and nodded to Ruby whom went to Rose's room when they heard the little girl crying. "Get out." Lena pointed to the door. "Get out and report to my office tomorrow."

" _Lena_..it's fine. I said the wrong thing and I own up to my mistake." Lucy didn't like this. They were a family and her words and her wife's had brought bad blood amongst them all. "I'm sorry. Please...let's talk calmly okay?"

"To hell with this." Maggie pushed away and stepped around those that had been around where she'd been sitting, grabbed her jacket and made her way toward the door. "See you later baby."

"I love.." They all heard the door slammed and with it louder crying from the nursery. "..you." Lucy wanted to cry. It was Alex that walked over, pulled her up and into her arms. "I'm sorry Alex."

"I am too." She broke the hug and checked her friend's neck. "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you did I?"

"Hmmph, just my ego." Lucy smirked with Alex slapping her lightly on arm. "I know this isn't my place but would you.."

"I'll talk to her. I shouldn't have reacted that way."

"Yes you should." Kara stated getting a look of shock and almost anger at her. "No. You don't get to condone your ex's actions. I get that Lucy said the wrong thing. I get that you might have a rather good handle on our powers. But I'm no idiot. I _know_ you aren't used to hearing people's heartbeats or pulses. I know right now everything is so loud it becomes too much and in the end you just want to make the noises stop." Kara softly took her sister by the chin to make her look her way. "I heard the erratic beat of Lucy's. I heard the popping and cracking that Maggie did. I heard the clench of her jaw. I know you did too."

"How do you drown this out." Alex didn't realize just how difficult this actually was. When they had body switched, they were on another Earth. They were with Lance and her crew. They had quieter areas and when they had to fight, both sisters had helmets and gear to protect them. She had to hand it to her one night stand hottie, Sara knew how to handle the worst of issues. It must be an assassin thing.

"Years of practice." Jehna uncrossed her arms and slowly stepped closer to the group. "We learn different meditation techniques. We begin to study what sounds are what and we take one out at a time. I bet you taught Kara to listen to your heartbeat, just like you showed me when you were trying to calm her down. That proof of not just loyalty and respect, but of understanding and love, has shown me much. When I came to Earth and discovered the sun shifted things for me, I was overwhelmed. I shut myself off by finding a noise cancellation bunker. That's when I spent time learning about this planet's technology and military and things like that."

"She came to us at.."

"She was thirteen?" Jehna asked, knowing at least that.

"That was the age that she um...she had been sent off in her pod. When she got here, she looked that age." Alex explained.

"What age were you actually?" How could she not have learned of this?

"You are right. I was thirteen years old when our Mom put me in the pod to save me and send me to Earth to look after and protect Kal-El. When Krypton exploded my pod was knocked off course. You know already about the Phantom Zone."

"Unfortunately yes." Jehna knew far too much about that hell.

"I was stuck there for over two decades by Earth standards. For twenty four years I was trapped in that silent darkness."

"I thought you didn't look that old." Jehna commented. "So...how old are you now, by Earth standards?"

"Thirty three. If you counted the years in the stasis, fifty seven." Kara heard her wife chuckle. "What babe."

"I still can't believe I'm dating a coug.." Sam put her hand over her sister in law's mouth.

"Don't go there Lee." Now another question had entered her mind. "Wait a minute." Sam removed her hand scooting back while cracking her knuckles only to see her wife cringe. "Sorry love."

"Yeah, don't do that until I get the dial down on the hearing."

"Sorry. Ummm Jehna.." Sam avoided messing with her hands. "How old are you?"

"By Earth numbers, seventy two." Eyes widened and her little sister looked at her stunned. "I'm fifteen years older than you _**Aos Aoe.**_ "

"Hmm hmm...I'm loving this." Kara felt a wide grin slip over her lips as she looked at Alex.

"What."

"Now _you_ are _really_ the baby Alex." Danvers pointed to the glare in her eyes.

"This face is not amused."

"How old is she?" Jehna was curious now.

"Thirty five." Alex narrowed her eyes more. "Oh Kaaaara.." She snatched the machine out from the hall, plugged it in and threw the kernels in the pot, slipping the noise cancellation headphones on her head. Alex adjusted the music and used her heat vision to heat the oil quicker as they began to pop. Kara jumped to the point her back was suddenly against the ceiling.

" _ALEX!_ " Her sister just laughed even harder. Yet even with the headphones on, she suddenly regretted her actions. Her niece was sobbing pressed into Ruby's stomach with her daughter putting her hands over her ears.

"Shit." Alex unplugged the device and flew out the balcony door she quickly opened and threw the popcorn maker in the pool. She made a face when she saw the sparks from the sinking kitchen appliance. " _Sorry_.."

"May I?" Jehna walked up to Ruby motioning the monstrous maker was gone. Her niece took her hands off her ears. "May I?"

" _Aaaaaauntie_!" Rose cried as she picked up her niece. " _Louuuud._ " Jehna rocked her, giving Ruby a look who showed her exactly where the young kryptonian's room was.

Both Danvers watched as their sister walked away with Skye and Rose, to do some bonding there. Alex rolled her eyes at the pout on Kara's face.

"I'm just as immune as your wife sis." They glared at each other just as Susan and Amelia bid goodbye as Kara motioned to Nia to join her in the training room, with Sam and Lena following suit. It left Alex and Lucy on their own, which lead to a rather interesting discussion until the Co Director accidentally dropped a pretzel between the couch cushions. It was then, when Lucy went to get it that she found something she wasn't expecting. "What is it Luce."

"Ha ha someone forgot their phone. I will just shoot them a message through their.." She recognized exactly who it belonged to. "Alex.." Lucy held it up with Alex's eyes shivering with worry. _It was Maggie's_..

* * *

Pulling into the lot, then down in the garage, she parked her favorite bike at her own personal spot. It was then she said fuck it and turned it on again to back up and speed out towards the streets. She wasn't on babysitting duty, she didn't have any obligations at the moment so to hell with it.

Back on the streets as she dove between cars carefully, she picked up speed and headed out of the city some to a little bar she knew all too well. Noticing the ding on the dash of her bike signaling something in her inbox, she reached down and pressed the clear then adjusted the volume on the alerts turning it down. Along her left handle bars she cranked one of her favorite rock stations to just fade away from all the anger she had pent up when she'd originally left.

Almost at the quaint little bar, she got stuck at one of the lights that appeared to be out. Unfortunately with the stop lights off, every car was being reckless and there were drivers yelling at each other for the right of way. This was an entirely different irritation that she really didn't feel like dealing with.

"Come on!" She yelled after flipping up her visor. " _You gotta be_.." A sudden rev of another bike caught her attention and she immediately looked over. Her eyes locked on not only the gorgeous yet personal looking ride, but to the driver in all the safety gear that was rather sexy and tight which definitely had her staring at the outfit, not the package. "Nice ride."

"Thanks. So we are locked down in this chaos huh?" The man asked with her sighing to nod.

"Gotta ask, who did the paint job and the tigers on the sides of your bike?"

"I did. I work at a zoo on the off season and I spent a year in Beijing, at a monastery learning the cultures and traditions. I got to work at their sacred temple and garden with tigers and well...I just began to pick up this hobby at painting them. Since I did some work on friends bikes doing pinstriping, I gave it a go at my own ride."

"Got a business card? I've got a few bikes I would love to have you do some work like that on." She definitely wanted something similar with the meaning it had behind it to her.

"Tell you what, let's take a detour out of this crap and we can jump to a bar I know." When she chuckled putting her head back with her helmet still on, he tilted his own. "Something amusing?"

"I hope you aren't trying to pick me up cause my avenue aint on the jock."

"Oh I ain't coming onto you if you were going for a point here." He laughed. "Come on, let's blow this popsicle stand." She nodded with them both moving their bikes sideways then backing up. Once they were clear of the other cars while ignoring the fires of profanity at them, he lead her away from the annoyance towards a side street. When they began down a backroad, she followed him toward a side of town even new to her.

Yet with the shit she had just endured on top of the traffic jam, she welcomed a few beers and some calmer conversation. "Down to the right." He told her when they stopped at a light, then took the direction he ventured. About ten minutes later, along with two rights and a left, they arrived and already she could hear a band she knew all too well. They parked in one of the empty spots, that was big enough for two bikes, then turned them off with them both dismounting their rides.

"I'm digging this place already. Since when do joints play Nirvana and Disturbed?" She removed her helmet just as he removed his and got that first look at him. His facial features reminded her of a construction worker with a little cleaner gruff on his chin. When she locked her helmet up and he slipped his into the saddlebag to his left, securing it shut, she held out her ungloved hand to him. "Maggie." He packed away his own gloves and held out his own to shake hers.

"Jaekob." With introductions and a motion with his head, she followed him toward the side entrance. Just as they were about to walk up the four steps to the door, she felt her body grabbed only to be spun around and thrown into the side of the building. Dizziness took a hold of her and the impact had knocked her balance right off. Maggie dropped to her knees and attempted to get back up only to have a hand grab her by the throat, hoisting her up to put her back against the outer wall. She attempted to speak but he just squeezed some cutting her chance to talk off. "Such a stupid little human." He stepped forward some and slid her higher up the wall.

She tried to pull his grip off then attempted to yank his arm away but it was useless. Maggie kicked at him, yet it didn't even phase him and at the moment she knew just what this stranger was. _Kryptonian._ "I do have to say, I wasn't expecting one of you to leave your nest. Oh well. This works out perfectly for me." Jaekob's eyes began to glow and if there hadn't been confirmation before, Sawyer had it now. His eyes were glowing a bright green and she braced for what she knew could kill her. "Your thundering chest and quickened pulse tells me you think I've come to kill you."

Suddenly he flung her away as she hit the ground hard. Maggie felt that one more than when he had slapped her against the side of the building. Getting up wasn't very easy and just as she had enough strength to attempt to rise he walked over and kicked her in her stomach as she gasped for air and prayed what was in her didn't come back up. "I heard she had some issues with my murderous Niece. Those words that had came out, brought a little distaste to me."

" _N...Non._." Maggie hoped she wasn't right, since she'd seen shape shifters such as J'onn take the forms of those they all knew.

"Guess again." Jaekob laughed using his boot covered foot to roll her over onto her back. "I want my little soldier back. If I can't have that, I want _you_ to kill her. I may have promised her dad that I'd look after her, but...that was before his ass had sent me over to that space hell."

"Who.." Maggie gasped against when his foot came over her chest and pressed down some.

"My name you already know. My last name you should know all too well, since it's the same as Non's. I guess no one told you he had a half brother. _**Jaekob Kor-El Kirghahv**_. Do you know what I just called you? Well...take a guess."

" _Huma_ …" Maggie groaned painfully when he applied more pressure to her chest.

"No. I said _weakling_. You are just _**Tagehd..**_ something I can crush if I wanted to. I was one of the clever and lucky ones that escaped Fort Rozz and came here with who you know of as _**Jehna Zor-El.**_ We've learned quite a bit about the violence this pathetic planet uses. Gotta say though, that I didn't expect as many killers here. I took the time to study prisons and _your_...oh what do they call it.." Jaekob pressed down harder and wondered if he'd broken bones yet. "Ohhhh yes. The _death penalty_. I guess you people don't use torture as a method unless you wear blotches and carry guns on your shoulder."

He took his foot off her chest giving her the opportunity to recover enough of the air she needed. "I watched your own race torture Alura's weaker daughter. I listened in as a human bested other aliens with her little parlor mind tricks. I even got to see the young darkness and a clone of your putrid excuse for a hero _Supergirl_ help right wrongs instead of taking real action unlike myself of our lost planet Krypton. That's alright, the clone was punished by me. I used my heat vision, thanks to the yellow sun you have here, on her coffin pod. She's tiny particles in the galaxy now."

Maggie rolled onto her side struggling to recover again, feeling tears slip down her face. The Red Daughter's body had been destroyed by this monster. She knew if she didn't call for help she was screwed. Then it donned on her that she didn't have her phone and she'd run over her com out of anger at everyone. The worst thing she could have done she had. "So as you lay here and think about what your species is, I'll go enjoy killing overseas. Do pass on my message _will you_? J...a...e...k...o...b says _**Ehrosh Bem.**_ "

Sawyer couldn't stay conscious anymore as her head slumped over to the side with her body falling forward left in heap face down and defeated. Jaekob just walked away quite amused and showing it, off to play with the people of Earth.

It was then a couple that had exited the building saw the figure on the ground with two bikes on their sides, destroyed by what looked like someone had hit them with a battering ram. They ran over to check on the woman, then call for help. To the side of her body was a burnt wallet and a set of crushed keys. There was nothing of identification they could use to I.D. her. It wasn't long until the cops had shown up and four of them ran over along with two medics.

"What happened?" The lead officer asked and the couple explained how they had found this person passed out and what appeared to be a bruise on her neck with a handprint on the front of it. They pointed to the motorcycles which two officers went to take a look at. When the medics turned her onto her back and carefully slid a board under her body, the two medics, one cop and the boyfriend of the witness hoisted her up and into the back of the ambulance. But when her head rolled to the side the officer's eyes grew large. " _Sawyer?_ "

" _What?_ " The other three cops ran over when they heard the name. "It's Maggie."

"Oh my god." The older officer said in disbelief. "I think we still have her rolodex and her emergency contact at the station." He got on the radio at his chest. "This is Officer Lucus at 2133 Prescott Lane. I have an officer down by Gregory's Pub. I need former Captain Margarita Sawyer's contact information in my Lieutenant's office."

"Third drawer down on the left. It shouldn't be locked." His boss told his officer that ran the route with him.

" _We heard and are checking there now. How bad is she?_ "

"There is a boot print on her chest. It looks like there is bruising forming. She has a handprint on her neck at her throat. I'm checking her airways now." One of the medics said.

"Not good. Any luck?"

" _I've got a contact number for an Alexandra Danvers and Eliza Danvers._ "

"Call the first one and let me know if her fiance picks up." Frank said. "Please... _please_ let her pick up.." The Lieutenant wished, hoped and prayed that someone answered the phone. The sooner that they got Maggie to the hospital the better. This _wasn't_ what any of them expected on their shift. In fact...it was the worst they'd ever had. One of their owns life was on the line. They needed to get to the bottom of this and make who ever had done this to her pay, _in spades.._


End file.
